Memorial services were held over the weekend to honor the more than 130 people who died in the historic flash flood disaster last July 4 in the Hill Country in Texas. The most perished in Kerr County, 119, where memorial services were held. Gov. Greg Abbott spoke at a memorial service on July 4, at […]
Month: July 2026
Standing in the gap: How churches have helped heal Kerr County
KERR COUNTY — The crowd that gathered in Louise Hays Park was a quiet one — a few hundred people sitting in lawn chairs arranged in rows like pews, most praying silently or in small groups and low voices. David Payne stood facing them, his back to the Guadalupe River as it flowed calmly by. […]
The Flood A Year Later
Relief director: ‘Recovery is real’ KERRVILLE — What took hours to destroy is taking months to rebuild, and no one knows that better than Austin Dickson. Last July Fourth, the area experienced a tragedy that changed lives forever, said Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. Torrential rains dumped nearly unprecedented […]
State of Texas: One year after the flood
KERR COUNTY (Nexstar) — One year ago, the Guadalupe River became the center of one of the deadliest disasters in Texas history. In the early morning hours of July 4, floodwaters tore through Kerr County and the Hill Country with terrifying speed. The rushing water swept away homes, RV parks, campsites – and people who […]
One year after Texas’ deadliest flood in decades, survivors rebuild as families still seek answers
Saturday marks one year since floods ripped through Texas’ Hill Country region, claiming 137 lives and leaving behind devastation in the wake of the waters. The flash floods remain the second-deadliest flood disaster in state history, with the Thrall flood of 1921 still the most devastating at 215 deaths. Since then, communities have stayed on the path to rebuilding […]
Those who remain: How July 4 flood survivors, responders found a way forward
Then floodwaters turned the Guadalupe River into a raging torrent — and almost nothing has been normal since. Last summer’s devastating flood killed 119 people in Kerr County, and it forever altered the lives of hundreds of others who were directly affected by the disaster. Some of them lost loved ones to the raging river. […]
One Year Later: Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country Helps 130 Families Return to Permanent Housing
A year after the devastating July 4 flooding disaster claimed lives, livelihoods, and homes in the Texas Hill Country, the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country remains committed to helping remaining families return home. Having raised $150 million to help with the flood recovery efforts, more than $50 million of that money has been […]
Texas Hill Country marks 1 year since deadly July Fourth flood
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, with many marking Independence Day with fireworks and barbecues, the holiday carries a much different meaning in Texas Hill Country. July 4 marks one year since more than 100 people were killed and thousands were displaced by one of the deadliest weather disasters in modern Texas history. On that […]
Texas Hill Country flood relief fund distributes $82 million one year after disaster
In the days after floodwaters tore through the Texas Hill Country on July 4, 2025, donations poured in from across the country. The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country quickly launched a relief effort, directing millions of dollars toward emergency assistance for survivors and affected communities. Like many across the Hill Country, the foundation’s CEO Austin […]
Some flood survivors frustrated with murky path to recovery
Last year, Juliet and Scott Weldin showed ABC News anchor David Muir their demolished house and the tree they clung to while awaiting rescue after the July 4 flood. This year, on June 22, Juliet Weldin spoke at Kerr County’s Commissioners Court with Scott Weldin and several members of the Guadalupe River Resource Community standing […]