FEMA Under Fire: Camp Mystic Tragedy Reveals Years of Flood Map Exemptions

Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic’s buildings from their 100-year flood map, significantly loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain. This regulatory leniency preceded a devastating flood that swept away children and counselors at the Texas summer camp.

A recent investigation by The Associated Press revealed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initially designated Camp Mystic, a prestigious girls’ summer camp in Kerr County, as a “Special Flood Hazard Area” in its 2011 National Flood Insurance map. This designation mandated flood insurance and stricter regulations for future construction.

However, records show FEMA amended the county’s flood map in 2013, removing 15 buildings from the hazard area. Further appeals led to the removal of 15 more structures in 2019 and 2020, despite the camp’s location in a low-lying area along the Guadalupe River, a region notorious for flash floods. Experts like Syracuse University associate professor Sarah Pralle, who studies FEMA’s flood map determinations, expressed alarm, stating it was “particularly disturbing” that a camp responsible for so many young lives received such exemptions.

The tragic flood, which occurred on July 4th, far exceeded the 100-year event FEMA envisioned, moving rapidly and catching many off guard in a county lacking a warning system. Camp Mystic lost at least 27 campers, counselors, and long-time owner Dick Eastland. While FEMA downplayed the significance of the amendments, saying maps are “snapshots in time,” an AP analysis using First Street data, which accounts for heavy precipitation on smaller waterways, indicates nearly all of Camp Mystic Guadalupe was at risk during a 100-year flood, regardless of FEMA’s determinations.

Despite the inherent risks, county officials not only permitted the camp to continue operations but also allowed a significant expansion, including new cabins, a dining hall, and other facilities, just days before the disaster. The investigation raises serious questions about the appeals process, with Pralle noting her research suggests FEMA approves about 90% of map amendment requests, potentially favoring wealthy and well-connected entities.

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