Summary
A review found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) removed dozens of buildings at Camp Mystic from a 100-year flood map after the camp appealed multiple times. This allowed Camp Mystic to expand with less regulation before a severe flood hit, which resulted in the deaths of campers and counselors.
Key Facts
- Camp Mystic is a girls' summer camp located in a flood-prone area along the Guadalupe River in Texas.
- FEMA originally included Camp Mystic in a high-risk flood zone map in 2011, requiring flood insurance and stricter building regulations.
- Camp Mystic appealed to FEMA, and in 2013, 15 buildings were removed from the flood map.
- Further appeals led to the removal of 15 additional buildings from the map in 2019 and 2020.
- A severe flood in July 2025 struck Camp Mystic, resulting in at least 27 deaths and significant damage.
- Experts say the flood was more severe than anticipated for a 100-year flood event, moving quickly without a warning system.
- Some believe the camp's appeals to change the flood map were aimed at avoiding insurance costs and easing future construction regulations.
- Despite map changes, some camp structures remained in high-risk flood areas at the time of the flood.
