Texas Flood: Authorities are looking for a mysterious camper van for camping
The floods overwhelmed the Guadalupe River in Texas, killing at least 24 people, and spurring desperate, continuing rescue efforts.
Pink bedding soaked in mud. Stuffed animals meant abandoned homesickness.
Photos and videos of Camp Mystic after Central Texas Camp got caught up in a deadly flood over the weekend are now viral. At least 27 children and counselors have been killed after the nearby Guadalupe River became a massive rapids of water that had surged over 26 feet within an hour Friday.
As some campers at the 99-year-old non-denominational Christian summer camp were evacuated, they sang the words “I want to know my world to my world/Love Lord/I came to me/I want to hand it over.” As the girls sang, the water didn’t flow and waves crashed, rolling down the broken road, turning the structure over.
The unforgettable video has earned over 700,000 views and thousands of comments. Many reactions embrace the fundamentals of Camp Mystic. It’s a prayer.
“I’m not a ‘religious’ person, but I’m very moved by the faith and strength of these young women,” one commented. Others have spoken in this song as a symbol of resilience and the tranquility of chance in the midst of terrible events.
According to Mary Beth Wardell, an associate professor of counselling at Fordham University, these responses are important reminders of how religion can help during difficult times, even for those who are not usually spiritual. Research link religion is for positive outcomes after a disaster. Because engagement in faith helps people understand what has just happened.
“Prayer as a coping mechanism is really useful,” said Weldell, who studies how religion guides us through stress and trauma. “Especially when other forms of action are not available.”
For those who seem to have lost everything in a near-Bible flood, reaching out to hymns and prayers is an active medium for healing when other mechanisms like therapy are not easily accessible, Weldell said.
“Singing is a ritual,” she said. “In many ways, religion gives people a roadmap and a structure to follow in an age where stress and trauma make things very confusing.”
“Religion does not erase sadness”
The widespread online response is an important reminder that everyone handles the injury differently. Not everyone is finding peace through prayer now. Some responded to the Camp Mystic scene by calling flood warnings that were too late to save lives and denounced local climate change preparation policies.
But that’s not about choosing one over the other, Weldell said. “We can have hope and be impressed by the collective experiences of people. It’s also true that things can happen systematically… Religion is not going to stop the flood.”
She added that singing can be powerful, but some may ask, “What type of God will make this happen?”
“Please keep that question with us,” Weldell said. “Don’t find the answer right away… It’s okay to have the answer right now.”
Werdel recommends working through questions like counselors and therapists. “Religion does not erase grief (or loss),” she added. “But that can be hopeful that losses are not the ultimate reality.”
Prayer at the heart of the community
Lorin Divita’s 17-year-old daughter worked as a foodservice worker at another camp about 50 miles from Camp Mystic. Her daughter happened to be on break when she was offsite in an unaffected area after a flood occurred. However, Divita prayed, realising that it might have been her child.
Faith is the connective tissue of local summer camps, according to Divita, an associate professor at Baylor University. These camps give children the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature and explore the harsher, unpredictable parts of life, she said. Parents often send their children to these camps in the hopes of finding the same joy and growth as they did.
“The whole experience taught us that we really are out of control,” she said. Prayer helped, she added.
“I don’t answer the question “why,” but the community cultivates the sense of unity they have with (these camps) and at least the comfort of feeling the feelings they have and knowing that they are not alone in dealing with the trauma they have experienced,” Divita said. “They are part of a community that cares about them, and that’s bigger than you.”
How to match prayer and action
According to Jamie Aten, executive director of the Wheaton College’s Humanitarian Disaster Research Institute, the high number of people are impressed by losses in Camp Mystic and elsewhere in the Flood Zone. He says that online expressions of these prayers are good intentions, but people can also draw those intentions into real life.
“In addition to praying, we also encourage you to consider best practices on how to take action,” Aten said. This means finding trustworthy nonprofits and other groups to give money and time through donations and volunteering (there are currently ways to help victims in Texas).
“There’s something really powerful about just showing up,” said Aten, a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. “Know that your presence means more than any word you can say.”
Think about what you can do just outside the door, Aten recommends. If you move to pray, take this moment and reach out to a friend who has suffered recent losses.
How to deal with trauma after a natural disaster
Research shows that in areas like central Texas, Americans have become more and more separated from religion in recent years, but events like these can provide the best examples of people experiencing love and loss with their communities, Werdel said.
But it is important to acknowledge that faith, spirituality, and coping are different for everyone. And Faith is not suitable for all people experiencing trauma, Verdel said.
The American Association for Anxiety and Depression offers other strategies to deal with natural disasters.
- Create a plan: Preparing can help reduce anxiety before, during and after a major storm. Plan to evacuate and put together the preparation kit.
- Notified: Beware of weather information and warnings. It may help you get a sense of control over the situation.
- Please talk: Don’t be afraid to talk about your fears with family, friends, counselors, or others who can provide emotional support.
- Accepting what you can’t control: No one can control the path of the storm or its damage. Excessive worry is nothing different to you except your emotional well-being.
