History repeated itself when the Guadalupe River swept away Camp Mystic. Why few lessons were learned after the 1987 flood.

Lavonda Koons, 65, and her husband, Richard Koons, 64, pose for a portrait at their home in Mesquite, on Thursday, August 7, 2025. The couple survived the 1987 flood that killed 10 campers from Pot O' Gold Ranch, a Christian youth camp in Kerr County. At the time, Richard was a youth pastor who drove the bus that was caught by the rising river, and Lavonda was a youth camp counselor. (Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune)

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KERR COUNTY — Lavonda Koons gripped the back of the driver’s seat, watching as the Guadalupe River rose quickly around her stalled school bus. Through the rearview mirror, she saw a van behind them sinking into the floodwaters.