Today, we had the pleasure of visiting Keith and Karel Halbert at their new home in Kerrville. Before the July 4, 2025, floods, the Halberts had been living in an RV in Ingram. In the early morning hours, a first responder came pounding on their door, urgently warning them to get up and get out. They were told they had about four minutes to evacuate. Within roughly two minutes, water was already rising inside their RV. The Halberts quickly gathered themselves and escaped to higher ground in their two vehicles, eventually waiting out the disaster in the Walmart parking lot.
When they returned, they found their RV had been pushed sideways by the floodwaters, though it had not completely overturned. Heavy outdoor furniture and a grill had been swept away without a trace. For the first few nights, the Halberts were able to stay in a hotel, but the cost of lodging kept climbing. Not long after, they were connected with disaster case manager Beth Palmer, who walked with them through the recovery process through the Community Foundation’s needs assessment. Karel was very prompt with getting paperwork to Beth, and this allowed the process to go smoothly and quickly. TSAHC was also instrumental in their recovery, providing down payment assistance through a program of the Community Foundation that helped Keith and Karel purchase the lovely home they now call their own.
Mrs. Halbert shared, “We were scared, we were so scared. We weren’t sure what to do or where we were going to go, and the hotel prices kept getting higher and higher. We’re so grateful to our case manager, Beth, and our realtor, Brooks Brininstool, and the people with TSAHC, and all the donors who made this possible through the Community Foundation. We have gotten help from so many people.”
“The Halberts were an absolute dream to work with, and Karel was so quick at getting me all of the documents needed to keep their case moving efficiently!” – Beth Palmer
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