A night that started with thunder and lightning ended in chaos and fear for dozens of young girls at Camp Mystic in Central Texas. As catastrophic flash floods swept through the area, campers scrambled in the dark, some barefoot, others crying, many unsure if they would make it out alive.
Sixteen-year-old Callie McAlary was among the campers who witnessed the disaster firsthand. What started as what seemed like an ordinary summer storm quickly turned into something far more dangerous.
“We went to bed thinking it was just a normal thunderstorm,” Callie said in a national interview. “One minute you see lightning strike next to your cabin, and the next minute, you hear the water’s coming up.”
She described a scene of panic — girls running between cabins, counselors rushing to help, and water creeping higher. Callie’s cabin was one of the lucky few that didn’t flood, but just feet away, other cabins weren’t as fortunate.
Her mother, Tara Bradburn, had trusted Camp Mystic with her daughter’s safety. Even though the family now lives in Virginia, Bradburn had roots in Texas and felt a deep connection to the camp. “We chose this camp because we knew they would love on our child,” she said, her voice breaking. “We are so devastated by what has happened, but truly grateful for what the Eastland family and staff did to save the children they could.”
The flood came fast — so fast that even higher areas of the camp, like Senior Hill, were swallowed up before many had time to react. Parents were left waiting for news, clinging to hope. Campers and staff worked through the night to keep each other calm, moving children from flooded cabins and making quick decisions in the dark.
Callie described waking up to the sound of thunder and the shocking news from another camper: “Our cabin is flooding.”
She shared that some girls had to sleep on floors or trunks because their cabins were too full — or too flooded — to return to. And in a chilling moment of maturity far beyond her age, Callie took one small but powerful step: she put on her name tag.
“I just put it on for safekeeping,” she said. “In my head I was saying, ‘If something does happen, and I do get swept away, at least I’ll have my name on my body.’”
For her mother, the moment was hard to process. Tara Bradburn, a former Department of Defense employee who has seen war zones and trained her daughter to stay safe in the most unlikely of circumstances, never imagined this would be one of them.
“When she got off that helicopter and I saw the name tag… that was the moment it all hit,” Bradburn said. “Somewhere, those little lessons we gave her stuck.”
Despite their relief that Callie survived, both mother and daughter remain heartbroken for the other families — especially those still searching for loved ones.
PLEASE PRAY For More Miracles In Texas.
Many Little Girls Still Missing From Camp Mystic Where Flooding Inundated The Girls Camp Over Just 45 Minutes…
At Least 13 Little Girls Already Confirmed Dead.
20+ Still Missing.
Search & Rescue Ongoing! pic.twitter.com/n43mMcNCEv— John Basham (@JohnBasham) July 5, 2025
“There are no answers right now,” Bradburn said. “We’re just trying to stay strong for her and for the others.”
Callie, who is still processing what happened, is holding out hope.
“I really hope those kids that are missing are found,” she said. “A lot of those kids hugged me the night before. It’s hard to think that one minute they were hugging me… and the next minute, they could be gone.”
“I had about 200 kids — scared, cold, and terrified. Probably the worst day of their lives.”
Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskin shares how he helped save 165 people during the devastating Texas floods at Camp Mystic. pic.twitter.com/1jUWQGDqKa
— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 7, 2025
The story of what happened at Camp Mystic is still unfolding. But for the families affected, one question lingers in the silence — and it’s one they may carry for the rest of their lives.
🇺🇸 Law Enforcement Officer helping conduct search and rescue operations in Central Texas, weeps after finding a body of a little girl in the chaos of a post flood zone near Camp Mystic pic.twitter.com/PsUrn19aKG
— War Monitor (@War_monitor21) July 6, 2025
