Many of you read about the tragedy in the small town of Hunt in the Texas Hill Country.  Torrential rain poured from July 4th to the 7th and then resumed again from July 12-13.   The Guadalupe River that runs around the town quickly rose, with water levels rising over 30 feet in the town of Hunt.  By the time water levels finally receded, 132 fatalities were confirmed, including 27 children attending Camp Mystic, a girls’ camp, located along the Guadalupe River.

Our church, Cross Bridge Community Church, joined up with Reach Global, a non-profit global crisis rescue organization, which was one of many organizations, including FEMA, that arrived quickly to help the residents of Hunt.  Since mid-July, teams of volunteers from our church have been going daily to Hunt, about a 2-hour drive, to shovel mud out of houses and buildings, tear down drywall and insulation, haul furniture and belongings to disposal areas, and help the town in any way we could. 

My son-in-law, Zack, has made the trip several times to Hunt, and I joined him this past weekend.  To say that pictures don’t tell the story accurately would be an understatement.  Nearly everything in the path of powerful flood waters that rose over 30’ in many areas was swept away, including entire homes, buildings, streets, and bridges.  Steel power poles were bent, and structural I-beams were twisted like they were putty. 

Driving around the town, I was amazed to see trees stripped of all branches from the ground up to 30’ with debris hanging from branches easily 10’ higher.  We went to one house to staple plastic on windows that were 30’ above the creek.  However, during the flood, the waters rose to nearly the ceiling in the first level of the house.   Looking across the creek, I could see blankets hanging from branches almost 10’ above where I stood on the back deck. In the picture below, you can see the flood waters had stripped the tree branches well above my position on the back deck and the creek below.

There is a significant amount of work to be done to restore this town.  Most of the first stage of restoration is complete, including clearing streets of trees and brush, cleaning out mud in buildings, removing destroyed furnishings, stripping drywall and insulation, and covering windows and roofs with plastic.  This first stage is great for hundreds of volunteers of all ages to be deployed for cleanup. 

Now the slower process of restoration and healing begins.  This can take years for both.  It is easy as a volunteer to focus on the construction work and forget how emotionally devastating this tragedy is.  In a small town, everyone knows everyone, so ties to those lost are known to all.  I can’t imagine returning to my home completely destroyed and knowing friends or family who are gone.

Now, about 6 weeks after the tragedy, the town is slowly getting cleaned up.  Zack and I were given several site assignments to cover roofs, staple plastic on windows and doors, cut exterior siding above flood lines, and deliver materials.

This restoration stage is slower as city inspectors need to visit all sites to determine if the structures are condemned or not.  In a small city, I bet there are only a couple of inspectors to do all the work. The city water plant was flooded, and still, most of the town has no drinkable water.  Most people’s wells and septic systems were flooded and not working.  Power has been restored in only a few areas requiring generators for light and power for tools.   Most people can help with the demo, but only experienced people can design and rebuild the homes.  They need structural engineers and architects to design plans, and then for the city to review and approve these plans. Those with flood insurance need to submit claims and wait for approval.  We learned that many residents either could not get or chose not to have flood insurance. Several of the homes we saw were not repairable, with sections of their foundations swept away, requiring the entire house to be torn down.  Those with limited financial resources are really struggling with how to restore their life.  Our church and Reach Global have been particularly focused on retired and lower-income families.

Once plans are approved and permits are issued, then experienced tradespeople are needed, including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, drywallers, painters, and roofers, to name a few. 

Some people outside the city limits have already demoed their home interior and nearly completed the rough-in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.  Part of our mission going to Hunt was to deliver donated drywall, taping compounds, and drywall nails to several sites.  LeeAnn, one of the homeowners (pictured on the right) who received supplies, told us that flood water was over 4’ in her house even though her house was well above the river and nearly 100 yards away.  She has been driving from Austin, about 2 hours away, every week to work on her house in Hunt. When we met this weekend, she and her friends had already removed all the fallen trees, completed the demo work, and roughed in electrical and plumbing.  Her house is outside city limits, and as a result, has been able to proceed quickly without needing inspectors or permits. She was very happy to receive nearly $2,000 of drywall and supplies.   

What Does This Mean to Me?

Life has crazy, unexpected twists and turns.  The tragedy for the Texas Hill Country residents is that it wasn’t until the early hours when all were sleeping that water levels reached crisis levels.  One person told me they woke up at 3 am with water in their living room and looked out the window to see water all around their house.  They tried to call friends and neighbors, but no one answered their cell phones. He finally reached a friend in Houston and asked him to start calling everyone as he was escaping from his house.  As water levels were rising, the amazing first responders were deployed to help.  I was told several stories of family members saved by first responders who dove into rushing waters and brought them to shore.   Others who were trapped in their attic trying to avoid the rising water had to kick through their roof to get out.  Now stuck on the roof, it was the first responders who helped them to safety.

 It was moving to see hundreds of locals and volunteers from around the country coming together to help the people of Hunt.  One food truck owner was there providing free lunches to volunteers. 

Non-profits and churches responded immediately after the floods by sending people, supplies, and donations to residents for more than a month.

If you would be interested in helping with a financial donation to Reach Global, specifically to help the people in the Texas Hill Country, click this link to the Reach Global website. 

I would also suggest volunteering to help at the next crisis (yes, there will be more).  Despite the obvious hardship, there is joy.  Listening to people’s stories who have lost most of their worldly possessions and yet remain positive to work through this event is encouraging.   Being a small part of their recovery process is a privilege.