(A tragedy no owner should ever have to live through — and a warning every owner needs to hear.)

Let me start with a hard truth:

Nature doesn’t care about your five-star reviews.
It doesn’t care that you’ve got the cleanest bathhouse in three counties.
It doesn’t care that your guests “just got here and set up the tiki lights.”

And in Texas—where storms can go from “cute little rain” to “biblical event” in about 11 minutes—that truth can turn into tragedy fast.

Recently, a devastating flood at a Texas campground claimed the lives of a family. And while it’s painful to even type that… it’s also something every campground owner needs to stare in the face.

Because here’s what makes this story even worse:

✅ It wasn’t just a tragedy.
✅ It was a preventable disaster.

And the part no one wants to talk about?

If your campground isn’t prepared… you don’t just risk losing property.
You risk losing lives.
And then everything that follows—lawsuits, investigations, the crushing guilt, the business collapsing under the weight of “we should’ve…”

So today, we’re going to talk about the exact things you need in place to protect your guests and protect what you’ve built.

But first…

Let’s lighten the mood for two seconds before we get real.

Campground owners don’t fear bears…

They fear:

• guest reviews that say “the frogs were too loud”
• weather apps that go from sunny to “you might actually die today”
• the words “insurance adjuster”
• and someone calling the office at 2AM saying:
  “Uhhh… the river is inside my RV.”

If you’ve owned a campground long enough… you’ve seen it all.

And you already know:

Campground ownership isn’t for the faint of heart.

But that’s exactly why you deserve better than chaos…
better than constant stress…
better than feeling like your business is one surprise storm away from ruining everything.

That’s where this article comes in.

What happened in Texas is a wake-up call

Not because Texas is “more dangerous” than any other state…
but because campgrounds have a unique risk problem:

You’re hosting families… in the outdoors… where conditions can shift fast… and where people trust you to protect them.

And when emergency planning is weak?

It’s not just water damage.
It’s liability.
It’s legal exposure.
It’s financial destruction.

Most campground owners don’t realize how much is riding on something as “simple” as a plan.

Until they’re the headline.

Here’s what every campground needs (and most don’t have)

If you take nothing else away from this post, take this:

Emergency planning isn’t optional. It’s part of running a legitimate business.

In the full article, we break down a rock-solid emergency management plan that includes:

✅ Early warning systems (not just “someone saw lightning”)

We’re talking:

• weather radios
• emergency alert systems
• smartphone notification platforms
• warning sirens
• multilingual instructions
• evacuation maps at every site
• staff trained on emergency communication

Because if your emergency plan is “we’ll post on Facebook”…
respectfully… you’re playing Russian roulette with your guests.

✅ Detailed evacuation procedures (not “everyone figure it out”)

You need:

• predetermined evacuation routes
• assembly points
• transportation plans for guests with mobility challenges
• marked emergency vehicle access routes
• routine staff drills

Because during a disaster, people don’t suddenly become strategic thinkers.
They panic. They freeze. They follow whoever seems confident.

That needs to be you and your team.

✅ Medical & rescue readiness (because minutes matter)

In the full article we cover:

• first aid stations
• emergency medical kits
• CPR certified staff
• direct communication with emergency services
• clear medical response guidelines

If you’ve ever had a guest faint, break an ankle, or get hurt—
you already know: it’s not “if,” it’s when.

✅ Documentation & liability protection

And here’s where most owners get blindsided.

You can do everything right… but if you don’t have:

• incident reporting
• safety acknowledgement forms
• inspection logs
• documented training
• written emergency protocols

You might as well have done nothing when it comes to legal protection.

Because in court…
the truth isn’t always what happened.

It’s what you can prove happened.

The real reason you need this plan isn’t fear…

It’s freedom.

At Campground Accounting, we work with entrepreneurs, legacy-builders, and stewards of family businesses who want to make the most of their campground investment… without it taking the most out of them.

Because there’s more to taxes than being on time…
and there’s more to life than business.

You didn’t buy a campground so you could:

• live in constant operations overwhelm
• suffer decision fatigue
• fear surprises
• wake up anxious every time it rains

You bought it to:
✅ build something meaningful
✅ create experiences
✅ breathe life into ownership
✅ press play on bigger ideas

And you can’t do that if your business is fragile.

You build a robust campground by exploring options… planning ahead… and never missing an opportunity to protect what matters.

If this Texas tragedy shook you… that’s good

That means you’re paying attention.

And the best time to prepare?
Before the storm shows up.

In the full article, we go deeper into:

• exactly what systems to install
• what policies to document
• what guest messaging to use
• how to structure your plan to reduce legal exposure
• and how to make emergency preparedness part of a sustainable campground operation

Because staying prepared isn’t paranoia. It’s leadership.

Connect with us!

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Please make sure to check out our blog and our website link below. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell to be notified when we post. You can email me at donna@campgroundaccounting.com.

Donna Bordeaux, CPA with Campground Accounting

Creativity and CPAs don’t generally go together. Most people think of CPAs as nerdy accountants who can’t talk with people. Well, it’s time to break that stereotype. Lively, friendly, and knowledgeable can be a part of your relationship with your CPA, as demonstrated by Donna and Chad Bordeaux. They have over 50 years of combined experience as entrepreneurial CPAs. They’ve owned businesses and helped business owners exceed their wildest dreams. They have been able to help businesses earn many times more profit than the average business in the same industry and are passionate about helping industries that help families build great memories.