Along Guadalupe River, More than a Dozen Summer Camps Have Structures in Flood Zones

History repeated itself when the Guadalupe River swept away Camp Mystic. Why few lessons were learned after the 1987 flood.

By Alejandra Martinez and Zach Despart, The Texas Tribune Aug. 14, 2025 “History repeated itself when the Guadalupe River swept away Camp Mystic. Why few lessons were learned after the 1987 flood.” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsle…

Along the Guadalupe River, more than a dozen Texas summer camps have structures in flood zones

A new analysis from The Texas Tribune reveals 13 camps along the Guadalupe River have buildings in flood-prone areas.

Along Guadalupe River, more than a dozen summer camps have structures in flood zones

Thirteen summer camps along the Guadalupe River were built on land prone to flooding.

Along Guadalupe River, more than a dozen summer camps have structures…

Most of the camps were built decades ago, before modern modeling and flood maps. Counties have little power to regulate construction flood plains.

Along Texas' Guadalupe River, Several Summer Camps Are in Flood Zones

The all-girls Christian summer camp where 27 people, most of them children, were swept away and killed by the July 4 flooding in Kerr County was just one