Last July, heavy rains and flooding caught the Texas Hill Country off guard. Along the Guadalupe River, home to campgrounds and RV resorts, things turned ugly. In Kerr County alone, more than 100 people died in the flooding. At least five lawsuits have been filed in connection with related deaths, many of them raising questions about RV park evacuation responsibility during fast-moving flood events.
Pressure mounts on RV park owners
Some RV park owners have taken heat from local reporting and community members over that tragic time. Many feel that park owners have the duty to protect their guests when severe weather threatens—particularly when their parks lie along river banks.
In this story, we’ll drill down on one such park owner—and just what they tried to do to protect their guests, and how the reality on the ground can be quite different from what some might think.
What one park owner tried to do
Heavy rain in the Texas Hill Country early on July 4 sent fast-rising floodwaters toward RV parks and campgrounds along the Guadalupe River, catching campers and park operators in a dangerous situation overnight.
At Blue Oak RV Park in Ingram, co-owner Lorena Guillen was already watching conditions closely. The National Weather Service had issued warnings calling the flooding “life-threatening.” With RVs and campers parked near the river, Guillen decided to seek guidance from local authorities.
A call for guidance comes up short
At 2:08 a.m., Guillen called the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line to ask whether she should begin evacuating guests from low-lying sites. She asked the dispatcher, “How bad is it, the levels of the Guadalupe right now?”
The response provided little help.
“We don’t have that information,” the dispatcher told her.
Guillen pressed for clarity, asking whether flooding was already happening or expected soon. The answer remained uncertain.
“No … I’m not even sure if it’s flooding,” the dispatcher said.
For RV park owners and travelers alike, those minutes mattered. Flash flooding can rise quickly, especially at night, when campers may be asleep and weather conditions are harder to see. Guillen said she needed confirmation to justify waking guests and moving rigs, highlighting the real-world challenges of RV park evacuation responsibility during sudden storms.
The dispatcher suggested calling a Texas Department of Transportation weather hotline but could not provide a phone number or confirm whether the line was staffed at that hour.
Later, Guillen said clearer guidance would have changed her actions.
“If they had told me, ‘Yeah, there is water, there’s going to be flooding, we just don’t know how high,’ … I would have evacuated at least the lower level” of the RV park.
Floodwaters rise, evacuation becomes urgent
By around 4 a.m., floodwaters surged into Blue Oak RV Park and nearby areas. Guillen and her husband began helping campers move to higher ground around 4:30 a.m., as water rapidly covered roads, campsites, and access points.
Situations like this emphasize why understanding RV park evacuation responsibility is critical for both operators and guests.
Most guests were able to escape, but one family camping on a small man-made island within the park could not be reached in time. All four family members died when the flood overtook their campsite.
The flooding destroyed RVs, cabins, and vehicles across the area. Fast-moving water swept structures downstream, leaving debris scattered along the riverbanks.
Lessons for RVers and park owners
For RVers, the tragedy highlights hard lessons. Rivers can rise with little warning, local information may be limited during overnight emergencies, and parks near water require extra caution during severe weather. Flash flood warnings should always be taken seriously, especially when camping in river corridors such as are common throughout the Hill Country.
At the same time, the events raise difficult questions without simple answers. What level of responsibility should rest with RV park owners when real-time information is incomplete or unavailable? How much responsibility belongs to guests who choose riverfront sites despite known risks?
As lawsuits and public debate continue, the case shows why the reality on the ground is often more complex than it appears after the fact, making clear guidelines for RV park evacuation responsibility more important than ever.
Sources include San Antonio Express News
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RVT1240b
This could occur in our area of Western Washington too due to the rivers flooding a lot this week.
Hi, Paul. Yes, some RV parks in Western Washington have flooded. Here’s a link to a bunch of photos posted on KOMOnews.com of the flooding (so far) this week in Washington. You have to see it to believe it. Have a good evening/night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
People are also the problem. In 1972 the Wyoming Valley in Pa had a devastating flood from the Susquehanna River. What do people do shortly afterwards. They start building new home in the flood zone. Can’t guarantee a dike is going to hold water back forever. Another area in West Pittston, Pa. Didn’t want a dike because they liked seeing the river. About 50 years later they now want a dike to prevent the nuisance flooding. But money isn’t available.
Imagine if people tried to sue an RV Park owner for dehydration because the park owner failed to tell them to get out of the sun and was “dumb enough” to build the park where heatstroke is possible. What’s the difference?
I’m sorry for their loss but the root of this tragedy is the belief one can actually abdicate their personal safety to someone else and be fine if not rewarded.
There is an inherent assumption of risk in any activity. Some risks are (or should be known) and reducing that risk is (or should be) the responsibility of the park. Most campers are not necessarily familiar with the potential risks in an area and rely on the knowledge of locals. Flooding, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and even technological issues (Chemical releases, smoke from industrial fires) even power outages and water loss or contamination are some of the risks. The evacuation plan could be the same for all hazards. Personal responsibility is still supreme. If you don’t want to risk the potential hazard you are free to leave at any time an relocate to a safer area.
We managed several RV parks, if there’s a threat to the safety of the guest you need to immediately react and not second guess it.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) developed standard 1194 which deals with standards for construction of Campgrounds and RV parks. It calls for written evacuation plans for every park. The plans must be approved by the Agency having Jurisdiction (AHJ). That AHJ would be the local fire department or county Emergency manager. Generally evacuations would be called for by the AHJ. In the case of an owner ordering their property be evacuated and call to the AHJ (or 911 dispatch) would be appropriate to allow for possible traffic coordination. Not all states have adopted this standard. The standard is generally added to the state or local building code.
A long time ago, we were camping in our popup in Oklahoma when a thunderstorm from hell grew on the horizon with 80 mph winds. Police cars with sirens blaring and lights flashing started the evacuation from the hilltop down to the valley below. A few chose to stay on the hilltop, rescued by a motorcycle gang camping up on the hilltop. 80 mph winds with rain, hail and debris were a walk in the park to them!