As heavy storms pounded the Hill Country on Wednesday and forecasters warned of catastrophic flooding, Camp La Jita, a Girl Scouts overnight camp on the Sabinal River west of San Antonio, was cleared out and the girls sent back to the city. Council staff said they moved campers and counselors off the river-adjacent property and bused them to San Antonio, where families reunited with their children. Officials said everyone remained safe throughout the move as roads began to close and flash-flood alerts stacked up.
Leaders moved girls during a lull in the rain
Camp staff said they timed the evacuation around a brief slowdown in the downpour, using that window to get everyone off the property before conditions deteriorated further. Two Utopia ISD buses carried campers to the Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership Center in San Antonio. The council said all campers and staff were safe at all times during the transfer. Camp director Tabitha Bomer said she "decided to use a window of slowed rain" and CEO Lisa Garcia said the evacuation was done "out of an abundance of caution," according to KXAN.
Where Camp La Jita sits and how staff planned the move
Camp La Jita covers about 236 acres along the Sabinal River near Utopia, roughly 80 to 90 minutes west of San Antonio, according to the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. The council's emergency action plan, which is posted on the council website, identifies floodplain muster areas and evacuation routes. The Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas emergency action plan guided staff during the transfer.
Flash-flood warnings were in effect
The National Weather Service had a Flood Watch in effect across much of south-central Texas and issued multiple flash-flood warnings for Hill Country counties as storms dumped heavy rain, prompting officials to monitor low-water crossings and road closures. Those alerts covered areas near the camp and helped inform the council's decision, according to the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio.
Heightened caution after last summer's deadly camp flood
State investigators and lawmakers found major planning and communication failures at Camp Mystic after a deadly July 2025 flood, and subsequent reviews and new rules have pushed camps to tighten emergency plans and evacuation triggers. Reporting by the Texas Tribune outlines those findings and the push for stronger oversight, a backdrop that councils say informs more cautious decision-making this season.
Families reunited in San Antonio
Council staff said Utopia ISD buses brought campers to the Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership Center in San Antonio, where families picked up their children, according to KXAN. The council coordinated with local responders as conditions on nearby roads deteriorated. Officials said moving early helped avoid a riskier, late-night evacuation and kept everyone accounted for under the camp's procedures.
What to watch next
The National Weather Service warned of additional heavy showers across the Hill Country into later this week, and the council said it will keep families apprised if more schedule changes are needed. For now, camp leaders described the move as a proactive use of written procedures designed to keep girls and staff out of harm's way.
