PALACIOS, Texas — More than 400 youth evacuated the Texas Baptist encampment Palacios by the Sea July 14 as threat of high winds and flooding from Hurricane Claudette increased. Hurricane Claudette had sustained winds of near 75 miles per hour and was expected to gain strength before it reached the Texas coastline. Forecasters predicted storm-surge flooding between five and eight feet, accompanied by as much as eight inches of rain.
The campers relocated to First Baptist Church in Katy, near Houston, where they continued the weeklong camp, which hosted youth from several Baptist associations. Jeff Kluttz, director of the camp, said he had hoped previous forecasts of the hurricane moving south would be true so campers could stay the entire week in Palacios. But with the storm approaching, “we had to make a decision based on the best information we had,” he conceded. With the help of the Katy church, the camp continued largely as planned, he said. The Texas Baptist Men feeding unit from the Dallas Association provided meals for the youth and a shower unit is on the way to supply showering facilities.
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