AUSTIN, Texas — Nearly a year after deadly flooding swept through Camp Mystic, Texas lawmakers visited the camp Monday as part of an investigative committee examining what happened during the July 4 floods and how the state can improve disaster response.

Texas Senate and House members assembled in Hunt to investigate the July 4 Camp Mystic floods, which left 27 people dead. As lawmakers arrived, some residents gathered along State Highway 39, urging the committee to broaden its focus beyond the camp.

“We elect them. They work for us. And I think that laws need to be created that protect all of us,” said Elizabeth Schneider, who lives in the area.

Schneider said she believes communication failures played a major role during the flooding. “One of the biggest failures that day was communication. You still lose cell service when you pass the Hunt store,” she said.

Schneider and others held signs reading “REMEMBER ALL 119.” Her sign featured a river of angels with the number “119,” which she said signifies the total number of lives lost in the area over the July 4 weekend.

“What about the rest of us? Why aren’t they gonna look at laws that are gonna keep the rest of Texans safe? If they’re keeping all Texan safe, then campers will be safe too,” Schneider said.

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Alex Underwood, another area resident, said the issue should not be viewed as competing sides. “This isn’t a sides thing. This isn’t the camp versus the people or parents versus anybody. Or survivors versus anyone. Everyone’s a victim,” Underwood said.

The investigation and visit were closed to the public, but lawmakers could be seen walking from cabin to cabin on the Camp Mystic property.

Requests for interviews were made to some of the lawmakers on the House and Senate committees, but some were unavailable or did not respond. State Sen. Bryan Hughes agreed to speak but canceled at the last minute, with his press team saying they had to attend to an “immediate obligation.”

Underwood said residents want unity in the aftermath. “We just want to have everyone collectively come together,” Underwood said.

In response to Monday’s visit, Camp Mystic said in a statement that it looks forward to supporting state lawmakers in their efforts to “gain a thorough and accurate understanding of what happened at Camp Mystic and in Kerr County.”

We are pleased that members of the Texas House and Senate general investigating committees are visiting Kerr County. We look forward to supporting them in their efforts to gain a thorough and accurate understanding of what happened at Camp Mystic and across the Kerr County community during the early hours of July 4.

Asked what accountability should look like, Schneider pointed to recent legislative action while calling for broader preparedness. “I know the legislation that they looked at in the second special session did amazing things for camp safety. It really lacked teeth in doing disaster response and preparedness for the rest of Texans,” she said.