FYI

itsmytexagsacct said:

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JDUB08AG said:

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They say things hit you different as a parent. As a dad with a 9 year old daughter, I didn't realize how understated that could be. Praying for everyone involved.

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We have an 18 month old, I never really thought much about what he will do during his future summer breaks but I went to Mystic and my brothers Stewart, I had always just assumed it would be an option. After this, I don't know how I will ever let him leave my sight again and breathe. I'm mid 30's, younger than the 1987 flood, but I remember how nervous my dad was for me to go to camp. "If you see water you make the driver stop! You DO NOT allow ANYONE to drive you across a bridge with moving water. EVER." I remember thinking what a strange talk that was and silently saying "I'm not going to do that! that's so weird!"

I found out this weekend he volunteered after that bus stalled. I can't imagine the anxiety he must have had while we were on those busses all those years. There were years he refused to let us on because "the weather looks bad" and he would drive us. I was never allowed on church busses, ever. I was NEVER allowed to road trip with friends, he would drive me or I would fly and meet friends there. I hated it, I was a kid who wanted to fit in and that was the exact opposite of what he allowed. I remember thinking how dramatic it felt, how unnecessarily over protective.

Today, I get it. As of this weekend, I feel the exact same. I don't know how you live when your child, your limb, is taken from you.

To those who have lost and to those who are still looking, we weep with you and we pray for you.

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Thank you for sharing. Remember, though, that he didn't keep you safe. He mostly just exposed you to different risks and caused you to deal with his personal fears and trauma. You have a chance to stop that cycle, and I hope you do. You are not in control.

agsalaska said:

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culdeus said:

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Starting to get a lot of first hand accounts. Directly hearing them myself. The camps had some warning and were doing things like moving canoes and waterside chairs up as early as 1am. The slow start to the event in my opinion contributed here as the real rush was 2.5+ hrs later.

It certainly sounds like they planned to move kids to the point at which there was lifetime flood levels and executed that. Then more than lifetime water came in and then some.

The surprise was perhaps not all the rising water was from the river. The water was described as coming from the mountain by one I heard. Which I suppose is possible. So they would try to climb up but water was pouring from above making the trails and roads up harder to manage

Sounds absolutely terrifying on all accounts.

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From what I read the water that they thought was coming from mountains were coming from the streams above them. You can see them on the map. That was entirely unexpected and from what I understand completely unprecedented. So to them it cut off any escape beyond their normal plan.

At least that's how I understood it.

Terrifying.

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My guess is that those particular cabins (Red Circle) were hit from three different directions (Arrows) by varying (but large) volumes of water.

Well, when I sat down to once again look at this post to learn how things are progressing, I found a PM from a reporter from USA Today. Of course I deleted it, but quite frankly I am FURIOUS. First of all how did he gain access to my information? How did he PM me?
He wanted to know if I had any information that was not known that he could use. Has anyone else received a PM like this? Should we report it to TexAgs? Asking.........

Quote:

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I'm mid 30's, younger than the 1987 flood, but I remember how nervous my dad was for me to go to camp. "If you see water you make the driver stop! You DO NOT allow ANYONE to drive you across a bridge with moving water. EVER."

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I don't want to hijack this thread, but there is a misunderstanding about what occurred in 1987. They didn't cross a bridge with moving water. In fact, the bridge that was there at the time was the reason they had to turn a different direction. They thought it to be unappeasable. The convoy of busses turned, essentially unknowingly, into the wave of oncoming water and while the first few made it out, when the slowed down, the last 2 vehicles stopped. The van stalled due to rising water, and the bus behind it with most of the kids started filling up. The youth pastor ordered everyone out and while trying to make it to shore, many were swept away.

Here is an animation that shows what occurred:



It was truly horrific timing: had they been there a few seconds before, they ALL would have avoided the water and made it through; had they been there a few seconds later, they would have seen the water and stayed put.

There is a movie that came out in the mid-90s that aired on TV only. I have the DVD, so I've watched it multiple times. Some of it is accurate but a lot is Hollywood. If that, or the media, is where Hollywood has gotten their information, you need to look at other sources.

Mark Fairchild said:

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Well, when I sat down to once again look at this post to learn how things are progressing, I found a PM from a reporter from USA Today. Of course I deleted it, but quite frankly I am FURIOUS. First of all how did he gain access to my information? How did he PM me?
He wanted to know if I had any information that was not known that he could use. Has anyone else received a PM like this? Should we report it to TexAgs? Asking.........

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I got one also. Just do not respond. Curious as to how they were able to pm us.

So am I. Should we let the Mods know?

culdeus said:

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Starting to get a lot of first hand accounts. Directly hearing them myself. The camps had some warning and were doing things like moving canoes and waterside chairs up as early as 1am. The slow start to the event in my opinion contributed here as the real rush was 2.5+ hrs later.

It certainly sounds like they planned to move kids to the point at which there was lifetime flood levels and executed that. Then more than lifetime water came in and then some.

The surprise was perhaps not all the rising water was from the river. The water was described as coming from the mountain by one I heard. Which I suppose is possible. So they would try to climb up but water was pouring from above making the trails and roads up harder to manage

Sounds absolutely terrifying on all accounts.

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Interesting article from KBTX.

A family from Anderson was camping on the bank of the Guadalupe. Got the notifications. Raining, but not hard, just steady. River was rising up the banks, finally packed up and left, just before they wouldn't be able to.

Supports that notifications were sent, but that the rain falling alone wouldn't have clued anyone in to what was coming. The water coming from upstream was more than anyone anticipated.

Mark Fairchild said:

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So am I. Should we let the Mods know?

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I would. It might violate Terms of Use

powerbelly said:

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Mark Fairchild said:

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So am I. Should we let the Mods know?

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I would. It might violate Terms of Use

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I texted Brandon.

Mark Fairchild said:

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Well, when I sat down to once again look at this post to learn how things are progressing, I found a PM from a reporter from USA Today. Of course I deleted it, but quite frankly I am FURIOUS. First of all how did he gain access to my information? How did he PM me?
He wanted to know if I had any information that was not known that he could use. Has anyone else received a PM like this? Should we report it to TexAgs? Asking.........

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So he paid for access to PMs? Can rookies even send PMs? Or is he an existing user who has been around awhile?

I'm pretty sure if you pay for stars you can PM right away.

I think you need a Premium account to PM, but that is only what $15 or so.

They probably have bounties out on stories, so that is peanuts.

culdeus said:

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Starting to get a lot of first hand accounts. Directly hearing them myself. The camps had some warning and were doing things like moving canoes and waterside chairs up as early as 1am. The slow start to the event in my opinion contributed here as the real rush was 2.5+ hrs later.

It certainly sounds like they planned to move kids to the point at which there was lifetime flood levels and executed that. Then more than lifetime water came in and then some.

The surprise was perhaps not all the rising water was from the river. The water was described as coming from the mountain by one I heard. Which I suppose is possible. So they would try to climb up but water was pouring from above making the trails and roads up harder to manage

Sounds absolutely terrifying on all accounts.

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The Guadalupe River makes a left bend at Mystic and, as I recall, has either a bluff or very steep ridge on the right bank that runs behind the camp. I can absolutely imagine water shedding down that. Add to that that the camp also sits on Cypress Creek and it was the perfect storm.

dermdoc said:

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Mark Fairchild said:

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Well, when I sat down to once again look at this post to learn how things are progressing, I found a PM from a reporter from USA Today. Of course I deleted it, but quite frankly I am FURIOUS. First of all how did he gain access to my information? How did he PM me?
He wanted to know if I had any information that was not known that he could use. Has anyone else received a PM like this? Should we report it to TexAgs? Asking.........

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I got one also. Just do not respond. Curious as to how they were able to pm us.

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There was a post on this thread earlier today from a USA Today reporter asking for people to contact him if they had information or stories to share. He had a rooke tag but two stars. I assume that is how he was able to PM. I do not know if the post was deleted and I'm not going to scroll through the past 20 pages and try to find it but ... he is/was on this thread which is no doubt how he became aware of you.

My prayers continue for you and your family, Derm, and for all those who have been affected by this tragedy.

It's somewhere earlier in the pages of this thread. USA Today reporter made a post asking to be referred to if anyone had stories they were willing to share. Didn't seem like a hunting for stories post, he just put his number up if anyone wanted it. He made an account, and is likely still following this thread. Idk why he DM'ed y'all though.

What's the name on the account?

If it is Rick jervis, he posted on this thread earlier from USA today. just doing his job. sucks.

You only need a $5 account to PM

Mark Fairchild said:

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Well, when I sat down to once again look at this post to learn how things are progressing, I found a PM from a reporter from USA Today. Of course I deleted it, but quite frankly I am FURIOUS. First of all how did he gain access to my information? How did he PM me?
He wanted to know if I had any information that was not known that he could use. Has anyone else received a PM like this? Should we report it to TexAgs? Asking.........

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"Journalists" are disgusting ghouls.

Yes, it was Rick Jervis and I also texted Brandon. Disgusting!

This is why I believe it is a good thing that we don't have a dam* Journalism Dept.

We've got other journalists here who are posters. There's nothing saying that a journalist can't have an account and pay for the privilege to DM.

I'm not sure if blocking him keeps him from sending you a DM but I would block him.

Rick Jervis is about to learn about ALL faces of the Outdoor board.

I really don't think thats fair. Most of us on this thread are here because we think its the best source of information and we want as much info as we can get. Same with people all over country, wanting to see and know and hear the stories coming out of the floods. Its this guy's job to find those stories and give them to the people who dont have anywhere close to the same connections as we have. The whole country is praying with Texas. That means they have emotionally invested in these things and its tragic and invasive but its reality and its not nefarious (usually)

Mark Fairchild said:

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Well, when I sat down to once again look at this post to learn how things are progressing, I found a PM from a reporter from USA Today. Of course I deleted it, but quite frankly I am FURIOUS. First of all how did he gain access to my information? How did he PM me?
He wanted to know if I had any information that was not known that he could use. Has anyone else received a PM like this? Should we report it to TexAgs? Asking.........

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You can find this thread on google and it's been shared across FB.

Texags is easy to join.
Buying the ability to PM is cheap and easy.
These posts are all public.

So how did he gain access to your information? You gave it to him and millions of other people.
How did he PM you? He paid for it, same as you do.

Sign him up for Cat Facts?

Open the DM from him.
Click on his username.
It will open his user profile.
Click the 3 dots on the upper right
Choose ignore user.
The "manual" choice instead of a time is until you unblock him.