SUMMARY: Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker defends his department’s response to deadly Kerr County flooding amid accusations from the Austin Firefighters Association of delayed deployment of specialized rescue teams. The association claims the state requested Austin’s help before July 4, but deployment was hindered by a prior order halting deployments due to reimbursement issues. Baker says he was first aware of requests on July 4 and deployed rescue swimmers, emphasizing the need to maintain city readiness. He denies budget concerns influenced decisions and calls for better communication. The association plans a possible vote of no confidence in Baker over the controversy.

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“As the floodwaters recede, Kerrville confronts the devastation” 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.

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KERRVILLE — Kathy Perkins fled her home in the middle of the night on Friday, just before the flood waters rushed in. Her RV is a mucky, destroyed mess. She hasn’t been able to get answers about her insurance. She’s in a city shelter and has no idea where she and her dog Marley are going to go next.

Last night, lying in bed, she began to weep. Not because of her situation, she said, but because she couldn’t stop thinking about the little girls still missing from Camp Mystic, the Christian girls summer camp swept away by the storm.

“You just want to say a prayer but then you wonder if they’re even still out there to be prayed for,” Perkins, 65, said. “It’s just — there are just no words.”

As the rains receded, and Kerrville began the long process of rebuilding after ruin, the unique horrors of what unfolded here Friday night hung thick over the whole town.

“I just think about those girls and their parents,” Perkins said. “That’s my home. That’s my granddaughter’s home. But that’s nothing compared to what those families lost.”

On Sunday, as pastors preached from the pulpit, volunteers sorted donations and passersby ogled the still-roaring river, locals struggled to put into words the magnitude of what happened.

Perhaps, there are no words to describe the devastation that follows a 26-foot wall of water rising up in less than an hour, swallowing roads, bridges, whole RV parks and two cabins of young girls, leaving dozens of campers and counselors missing.

“Overwhelming,” was the word Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller landed on. He came in from San Antonio on Friday and visited families at the reunification center. His heart physically ached, he said, as he watched the pained silence and self-contained suffering each family sat with, and the unfettered joy of those reunited with their loved ones.

“I was there to hear the cry of those who hurt, and there are so many here who hurt,” he said, tearing up.

García-Siller has witnessed so much grief and suffering during his time as archbishop. After a school shooter in Uvalde left 19 students dead in 2022, he drove back and forth from San Antonio almost every day for three weeks. Now, he anticipates being similarly involved in what he expects to be a long recovery for the people of Kerrville.

“We think we control everything. We act as if we control life and can guarantee our security,” he said, reflecting on what he’s learned from these experiences. “But our power is miniscule over life. I think we must learn to embrace that as we embrace our beloved ones and embrace those suffering and in pain.”

As he spoke, helicopters crisscrossed overhead, searching up and down the river. All day, an alphabet soup of law enforcement agencies raced back and forth across town, shutting down whole stretches of the highway to accommodate rescue efforts, as linemen and construction crews worked down by the river to remove an extraordinary array of debris — mangled metal, shredded asphalt, upended cars, destroyed homes.

Restaurants, schools and churches turned into makeshift donation centers, as local officials tried to discourage any more well-intended volunteers from coming in from out of town to run amateur search-and-rescue and debris clearing operations.

“We have a ton of resources here. I could make a phone call and get a ton more here,” Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said Sunday afternoon. “We have all the resources and all the equipment and all the manpower and all the food we need here … We have it under control.”

Cross Kingdom Church received so many donations they had to start sending people to other sites just to spread the wealth around. During their Sunday morning service, people in raincoats and muddy boots sang for close to an hour, celebrating being alive and grieving those who had died.

In song after song, the worship band reminded churchgoers, some of whom had lost their homes and possessions in the floods, that there was always hope, even in the darkest times.

Halfway through the service, that hope seemed to be rewarded. Kim Strebeck, the church’s youth pastor, stood up and announced that two young girls had just been found, safe and alive, in a tree about 10 miles away. The crowd cheered and stomped their feet, so grateful for a dose of good news. One woman ran outside, cheering, “Who loves us?” as the kids around her shouted back, “Jesus!”

But by the end of the day, that little glimmer of hope had been debunked as a rumor. Despite an all-hands-on-deck search, there had been no girls found alive that day. The death toll had risen to almost 70 in Kerr County alone — more than the direct death toll of Hurricane Harvey — and the number of missing campers had dwindled to 10.

The search-and-rescue mission had to pause their work as a new storm rolled in, threatening more flash floods which could bring up to two feet of rain to the already swollen river.

Just before 6 p.m., people gathered on a hillside in a steady drizzle, overlooking the slowly rising water. They watched as an array of first responders assembled across the river, more and more flashing lights summoning the attention of the onlookers.

After a brief flurry of activity, observers said, they pulled what looked like a body bag out of the debris.

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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/07/kerrville-hill-country-flood-texas/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

The post As floods recede, Kerrville confronts the devastation appeared first on feeds.texastribune.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents a straightforward, factual report on a tragic flooding event in Kerrville, Texas. The tone is empathetic and focuses on personal stories of loss and community response without promoting any political ideology or agenda. It highlights the roles of local authorities, religious figures, and volunteers in the relief efforts, maintaining a neutral perspective. There is no evident bias toward any political party or viewpoint, and the piece refrains from discussing policy or political issues, instead centering on human interest and community impact.

SUMMARY: In Kerrville, many volunteers and organizations are providing relief and comfort to families affected by recent flooding. Operation Barbecue Relief, a nationwide group started after the 2011 Joplin, Missouri tornado, is serving 600 meals today, including chicken, sausage, vegetables, and pasta. Volunteers, some traveling from as far as Pennsylvania, have come to help the community. Since the flooding began Friday morning, many residents have lacked power and hot meals for days. First responders working tirelessly on search and rescue efforts are among those benefiting from this community-driven effort to bring comfort and support to Kerrville.

Volunteers and organizations are providing relief and comfort to those affected by the devastating floods. Peyton May with our sister station in Dallas has details.

FOX7Austin brings you breaking news, weather, and local stories out of Central #Texas as well as fun segments from Good Day Austin, the best from our video vault archives, and exclusive shows like the Good Day Austin Round-Up and CrimeWatch.

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