FEMA Loosened Flood Oversight for Camp Mystic Before Devastating Flood

FEMA repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic's buildings from the 100-year flood map, despite the camp operating in a hazardous floodplain. The prestigious girls' summer camp was initially designated as a Special Flood Hazard Area in 2011, but was later exempted from regulation. The 100-year flood event in July 2023 was much more severe than anticipated, and FEMA's exemptions may have contributed to the devastating loss of life and property.

Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic's buildings from their 100-year flood map, despite the camp operating in a hazardous floodplain. The prestigious girls' summer camp was initially designated as a Special Flood Hazard Area in 2011, but was later exempted from regulation. The 100-year flood event in July 2023 was much more severe than anticipated, and FEMA's exemptions may have contributed to the devastating loss of life and property.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) included Camp Mystic in a "Special Flood Hazard Area" in its National Flood Insurance map for Kerr County in 2011, which means it was required to have flood insurance and faced tighter regulation on any future construction projects. However, FEMA amended the county's flood map in 2013 and again in 2019 and 2020, removing 30 of the camp's buildings from the hazard area [1].

The camp, located in a low-lying area along the Guadalupe River, was devastated by historic floodwaters on July 4, 2023. At least 27 campers and counselors, including the camp's owner Dick Eastland, died in the catastrophic flooding [2]. The flood was far more severe than the 100-year event envisioned by FEMA, moving so quickly in the middle of the night that it caught many off guard in a county that lacked a warning system.

Syracuse University associate professor Sarah Pralle, who has extensively studied FEMA's flood map determinations, expressed concern that the camp would receive exemptions from basic flood regulation. She noted that the appeals could have been an attempt to avoid the requirement to carry flood insurance, to lower the camp's insurance premiums, or to pave the way for renovating or adding new structures under less costly regulations [1].

FEMA's exemptions may have contributed to the camp's expansion and the tragic outcome. The camp had 557 campers and more than 100 staffers between its two locations when a state licensing agency conducted an inspection on July 2, two days before the tragedy [1]. Local officials likely believed they were following existing regulations when they allowed the camp to keep growing, but "then Mother Nature set a new standard," said Chris Steubing, executive director of the Texas Floodplain Management Association [1].

The tragedy at Camp Mystic underscores the importance of accurate flood mapping and the need for property owners to take proactive steps to mitigate flood risks. FEMA's flood insurance map underestimates flood risks, and property owners challenging FEMA's map designations may face an arduous process to obtain more accurate maps [1].

References:

[1] https://www.npr.org/2025/07/12/nx-s1-5465564/fema-removed-camp-mystic
[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-flood-camp-mystic-buildings-removed-from-100-year-flood-map-by-fema/