KERR COUNTY, Texas – Monday, Aug. 4, marked one month since catastrophic flooding ripped through the Texas Hill Country, killing more than 100 people in Kerr County alone.
Included in the death toll were 27 children and counselors from Camp Mystic, an all-girls camp. As of Sunday, Aug. 3, two people remain missing.
>> Flood timeline: Alerts, emergency response and pivotal moments in July 4 tragedy in the Hill Country
Much of the devastation was centered on Kerr County in the early morning hours of July 4, yet despite multiple warnings issued by the National Weather Service and state agencies, officials have said no one saw the potential flood coming.
During KSAT’s coverage on Monday, reporters and anchors revisited some of the Kerr County residents impacted by the flooding and the organizations working tirelessly to rebuild.
One month after Hill Country flooding: What have we discovered? What is still left to be revealed?
Kerrville city leaders were caught off guard by the historic weather event and an alert that warned people to head for higher ground was significantly delayed in being sent to the public, records show.
KSAT Investigates has worked to piece together how the county’s emergency response played out.
A month after Kerr County flood, still no official word on names of victims
Kerr County officials have said at least 108 people died in the floods.
What Kerr County officials, nor anyone else for that matter, have not done is publicly identify those killed in the flooding.
Since July 4, KSAT has relied on family members, obituaries, friends, employers and credible media outlets to identify those who died in the flood.
Ingram residents urge officials to drain lake
Ingram and Hunt, two communities west of Kerrville, experienced severe damage from the flooding.
KSAT meteorologists estimate around 100 billion gallons of water fell along the Guadalupe River corridor in Kerr County on July 4.
>> One month later: Maps, graphics show the severity of the Hill Country floods
On Monday, KSAT reporter Devan Karp spoke with some Ingram residents who believe there is more than just trash buried in the silt.
Those neighbors are pushing local government officials to consider draining Lake Ingram to aid in recovery efforts.
"You know, they said there (are) at least three cars and some kind of RV camper out there, and they’re halfway buried in silt," said one man, who asked to remain anonymous after he received community pushback.
Draining the lake is something Kerr County commissioners have floated; however, high costs and coordination between multiple regulatory agencies are just some of the roadblocks.
From Bible study to boots & bleach: A Kerrville church’s transformation
Chris Carrillo, pulpit minister at the Riverside Church of Christ, never imagined he would coordinate disaster relief.
“But here we are,” Carrillo said.
Classrooms that usually host Bible school on Sundays are now stacked with pallets of bleach, heavy duty cleaning wipes, buckets, rubber boots, fans, hygiene products, boxes of food and more.
KSAT 12 News’ Myra Arthur spoke with Carrillo and other volunteers at a church that has become more than a house of worship in the days and weeks after the Fourth of July flood.
How is FEMA helping Hill Country flood victims one month after the disaster?
Many families in the Texas Hill Country are starting from scratch after the July 4 floods.
Several have been turning to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for help.
As of July 28, the agency told KSAT it has approved 432 households in Kerr County for the Individuals and Households Program.
Center Point small business owners reflect on financial assistance
In the days and weeks after the flooding, donations and relief poured into Kerr County. Several nonprofit organizations, such as LiftFund, provided financial assistance to local businesses affected by the flooding.
>> Hill Country residents share stories of survival, loss in July 4 floods at committee hearing
KSAT’s Ernie Zuniga on Monday spoke to four business owners in Center Point who received funding from LiftFund to stay afloat.
Photo album lost in Hill Country floods reunited with owner after it appeared on national television
Pamela Harte, whose family has had land along the Guadalupe River in Hunt for more than 100 years, had lost some of her most prized possessions in the floods.
She believed her albums, filled with family memories and photos, were lost completely.
However, she never could have imagined how she’d be reunited with her special album.
Harte’s friend was watching KSAT and ABC News a few days after the flood and jumped to her feet when she saw a picture of Harte in a page of her scrapbook.
The friend immediately called KSAT, where someone informed her the clip was on ABC News Live, and put her in touch with producers there in New York City.
Kerrville man describes FEMA assistance as ‘very helpful’
During the GMSA@9 show, Zuniga met with Wayne Donaghe, whose 100-year-old family home was damaged by the flooding but left standing.
KSAT met with Donaghe on July 10, when he was the first person in line at then-newly opened FEMA assistance site.
On Monday, Donaghe described the FEMA assistance as “very helpful.”
While the inside of Donaghe’s home was damaged, the rebuilding process is underway.
“I was an emotional wreck for sure, at the time, still am to some degree,” he said on Monday. “But it gets better every day. (I) learned to let go. God said start over, so that’s what we’re doing.”
‘More than boards and nails’: Church group offers free help for homes inundated by Hill Country floodwaters
Mark Cobin has seen disaster before, but not like this.
“We’ve done hurricanes in Louisiana. We’ve done floods in Florida,” he said. “This is the worst I’ve ever seen.”
The flooding in the Hill Country is the fourth disaster Cobin has responded to as a volunteer with the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team, based out of Tipp City, Ohio.
Road repairs continue across Kerr County
The flooding severely damaged State Highway 39 and Farm-to-Market Road 1340.
For several weeks, both roads were closed to the general public. First responders and residents slowly gained access as repairs continued.
In Kerrville, bridge repairs were being made by the Texas Department of Transportation. During the repair work, TxDOT crews recovered a piece of guardrail twisted by the July 4 floodwaters.