the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Jul 21, 2025
Early on July 4, heavy rain—more than 10 inches in three hours—fell on the slopes along the scenic Guadalupe River in Kerr County in central Texas. The river rose quickly, by at least 26 feet in 45 minutes, flooding riverside summer camps, recreational vehicle parks, and farms. At least 129 people were killed, including 27 girls and counselors at the prestigious Camp Mystic. Farm equipment and cattle were washed down the river.
Some officials are claiming they had no idea this would happen. This is not the first time this has happened in this area, appropriately nicknamed “Flash Flood Alley.” This is one of the most flood-prone areas in the country because of its geology. Shallow soil over limestone can’t absorb all the water falling from the sky and rushing down the steep slopes along the Guadalupe River. Storm water cascades into creeks and riverbeds, forming devastating, rushing walls of water and debris.
There have been 12 serious local floods in the past 50 some years—that’s more than one every 5 years.
Two questions immediately pop up. Why are there summer camps in a known flood zone? And what systems were in place to warn sleeping campers of the impending flood?
Camp Mystic was built in the flood plain nearly a century ago. Six years after the camp opened for business, a flash flood washed away several cabins. In this recent flood, some of the cabins were located so close to the banks of the Guadalupe River that they were considered part of the river’s “floodway,” meaning any construction is either banned or extremely restricted by many states and counties.
Floodways are extremely hazardous because of the velocity of floodwaters which carry debris and cause erosion. Yet Camp Mystic continued to build in a flood plain and gain exemptions to do so from the federal government.
As for warning systems, there was no outdoor weather alert system, like sirens that would alert people to a flash flood. While there is no law requiring sirens, experts agree they save lives. Every means to warn people, phone alerts, radio and TV emergency broadcast system, and outdoor sirens should be used. Since a flood in 2017, some officials argued for the sirens, but they were never approved in the budget. One official was quoted as saying that sirens were “too extravagant.” Too extravagant to save 100 people?!
Safety taking a backseat to the profits of a prestigious camp and government budgets is not new in this capitalist society.