The family of Jayda Floyd, a 22-year-old woman who died alongside her 23-year-old fiancé, Bailey Martin, in the July 4 floods, has filed a lawsuit against a Hill Country campground, marking one of the first legal actions tied to the disaster that killed 118 people in Kerr County.
Filed in Kerr County’s 216th District Court by Glasheen, Valles & Inderman Injury Lawyers, the suit represents Christie and David Floyd, acting for Jayda’s estate.
The couple was staying in their RV at HTR Texas Hill Country Resort on the Guadalupe River when floodwaters swept them away. The lawsuit alleges Jayda’s final act was helping her fiancé’s teenage stepsiblings climb onto the RV’s roof, saving their lives.
“It is believed that Jayda and Bailey were swept away along with their RV. Unfortunately, they were not able to survive,” the suit reads.
The defendants — HTR Kerrville Inc., The Davis Companies, Blue Water Development LLC, and resort general manager Ilana Callahan — are accused of negligence for operating the campground despite known flood risks, failing to warn guests, and not evacuating in time.
The suit claims the resort lacked proper flood response plans and infrastructure.
“Defendants lacked proper plans, protocol, and equipment to respond to the flooding,” it states, noting 11 flash flood warnings from July 2 to July 4 were “ignored.”
Survivors reported a car horn, not resort staff, alerted them as water rose from ankle to waist deep in minutes.
“She was someone who was going to make a difference in the lives of people, particularly kids,” said Jayda’s father, David Floyd, according to a law firm press release.
Attorney Kevin Glasheen added, “The family wants answers and accountability. They want to know why the resort had no effective system to monitor extreme weather and flooding, no adequate warning for guests like Jayda, and no timely evacuation procedures.”
Attorney Jon Clark said, “Businesses operating campgrounds along the river have known about its flooding history for decades. We will investigate what steps — if any — were taken to monitor conditions and warn guests of the danger they were in.”
Jayda, a juvenile probation officer in Ector County pursuing a master’s in psychology, and Martin, an Odessa Police Department officer, aimed to serve their community.
The Floyd family seeks over $1 million in relief.
HTR Texas Hill Country responded Wednesday, stating, per KSAT, “Our hearts go out to Ms. Floyd’s family, her fiancé, and other loved ones – and to all of those who were impacted by the flooding that devastated the Kerrville community. As has been widely acknowledged by state and local authorities, meteorologists, and other experts, no one could have anticipated the unprecedented severity and rapid onset of the flooding that occurred and that exposed serious failures in public warning systems and emergency response protocols.
“While we have not yet been served with this complaint, we have reviewed a copy. We reject its fundamental thrust and will be prepared to vigorously defend ourselves in court.”