HUNT, Texas – As a small Hill Country community tries to pick itself up from the floods, people from near and far are offering a hand.
The unincorporated community of Hunt is nestled between the north and south forks of the Guadalupe River, which rose more than 27 feet in a little over two hours on July 4.
Water-gutted buildings, piles of debris and uprooted trees littered the landscape days after the floods. Running water was still a problem on Monday.
>> How to help those affected by Texas Hill Country floods
But as floodwaters receded, local groups say the community has received an outpouring of donations, including clothes, food and water.
“Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Austin, Houston, I mean, people are showing up out of just — from nowhere, and it’s amazing,” said Lee Pool, chief of the Hunt Volunteer Fire Department, whose station is packed with cases of water for residents to use for everything from brushing their teeth to flushing their toilets.
“It’s incredible,” Pool said. “It brings back trust in humanity."
At the nearby Hunt Baptist Church, clothing donations filled the pews, while food and household cleaning products packed makeshift aisles in a general-purpose room.
Pastor John Collis said most of it has been from private donations.
“Just people calling up and saying, ‘How can we help? What can we bring?’” Collis said. “People showing up, backing up and having pickup loads of stuff and just unloading that.”
The donations were so heavy that Collis said they were initially worried whether they actually had more than they could distribute.
But as word spreads, “Don’t go to Walmart. Come here,” he said that’s less of a concern.
Collis said the one thing they’re short of is shovels and other equipment to work with in the mud and dirt, as well as bug spray.
During a Monday morning news conference, officials said those who want to donate money should visit the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country website.
Those looking to volunteer can call the Salvation Army at 830-465-4797 or visit them in Kerrville at 855 Hays St.
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