BATESVILLE, Texas – The floodwaters that swept through Batesville have largely receded, but for many families, the work of rebuilding has only begun.
Throughout the week, residents of the small Zavala County community, home to about 787 people, began the cleanup process by hauling waterlogged furniture from homes, salvaging what they could and leaning on neighbors determined to help one another recover.
KSAT visited Batesville on Friday and Saturday to see how residents were faring with the rising floodwaters from the Leona River. Once the floodwater began to recede, streets that were once submerged just a day earlier were open. But inside neighborhoods hit hardest, the destruction was impossible to miss.
>> Floodwaters recede in South Texas as communities turn toward recovery
Inside one home, a family sorted through years of memories damaged by floodwaters. They declined an on-camera interview but told KSAT they were devastated, saying their home, where generations had grown up, will never be the same after just a few hours of flooding.
Streets over, hope was taking shape inside the Zavala County Nutrition Center.
The building has become more than a shelter. It has transformed into a hub for recovery, where volunteers spent Friday and Saturday preparing hot meals, organizing donations and packing boxes of essential supplies for families displaced by the flooding.
Rows of tables were covered by clothing, toiletries and cleaning supplies donated by people.
“We have wipes, diapers, toilet paper, napkins, feminine hygiene products, just a little bit of everything,” one volunteer told KSAT as she helped assemble cleaning kits for affected families.
She said the outpouring of donations reflects the generosity of Texans, but what has impressed her most is the determination of her own neighbors.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” she added. “Everybody in this room right now is people from Batesville. We might be small, but we’re a mighty community. We come together. We help each other out. There’s no questions asked.”
That spirit has been especially meaningful because many of the volunteers have also been affected by the flooding.
The volunteer told KSAT one woman working alongside her had watched floodwaters completely take over her own home. Even after suffering significant damage, she spent the day helping prepare supplies for other families.
“She’s still here helping out,” the volunteer said. “Even though she was impacted, she’s still here helping out, trying to get everything together.”
Community advocate Mike Mendez made the trip from Uvalde to his hometown after seeing videos of the flooding.
“When I seen the videos and the footage of my hometown, it’s ugly,” Mendez said. “And I knew a lot of people were going to need help and resources that they can’t afford to get.”
Mendez partnered with local volunteers to bring pallets of bottled water, food and hygiene products to residents staying at the shelter.
For now, Batesville’s recovery is being driven one meal, one donation box and one neighbor at a time.
In a town where many families are cleaning out homes while also helping others do the same, residents said the road to recovery won’t be easy.
But they believe they’ll get there together.
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