Chatting the Pictures: Camp Mystic, the Texas Flood, and the Landscape of Loss

Sergio Flores captured this image for Reuters, showing search teams continuing their grim work near Camp Mystic in the aftermath of deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, on July 4, 2025. The catastrophic flash flood killed over 107 people countywide, making it one of the deadliest inland flood events in U.S. history, with Camp Mystic suffering particularly devastating losses of at least 27 campers and counselors. Harrison Hall, the camp’s central dining facility and community hub had its front wall torn off and roof badly damaged. Officials and experts have been hesitant to address key factors that worsened the disaster, including key failures in institutional response and cabins knowingly built in the floodplain. Although climate change has spiked the risk of extreme rainfall, its impact has still not been widely acknowledged.

In our latest ‘Chatting the Pictures’ video, we highlight the juxtaposition between a ripped-open Harrison Hall and the eerily placid Guadalupe River. We examine the transformation of classic camp imagery into wreckage and evidence. And, we utilize a rescue boat and a flood map to connect this institutional failure to broader patterns of systemic breakdown in protecting children and responding to the climate crisis.