FEMA Faces Scrutiny After Fatal Camp Mystic Flood

Camp Mystic, a prestigious Texas girls’ summer camp along the Guadalupe River, successfully appealed to FEMA for the removal of numerous buildings from the 100-year floodplain maps in 2013, 2019, and 2020, reducing regulatory oversight and insurance requirements even as private and independent data indicated persistent or worsening flood risks. Originally, FEMA had designated the camp as a Special Flood Hazard Area in 2011, subjecting it to stricter construction standards. Experts, including Syracuse University’s Sarah Pralle, have criticized the lenient exemptions for a facility responsible for children's safety, especially as independent analyses like those from First Street Foundation showed more buildings at risk than FEMA’s maps indicated. On July 4, 2025, a catastrophic flood overwhelmed Camp Mystic, killing at least 27 campers, counselors, and the camp’s longtime owner. The flood far exceeded the 100-year event standard and struck in a county lacking a warning system. The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of FEMA's flood mapping process and the potential for affluent or well-connected communities to secure regulatory exemptions.