KERRVILLE, Texas – Texas flood survivors are in Washington, D.C., urging federal leaders to deliver disaster assistance they say families and businesses need to rebuild after devastating floods in Travis and Kerr counties.
Delegates from Texas and other states are asking for two main forms of help: an Individual Assistance designation for the 2026 flood through FEMA and federal funding for the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program, known as CDBG-DR.
Individual Assistance can help pay for housing, unemployment assistance, case management and legal services after a disaster. CDBG-DR is designed to support long-term community recovery, but survivors and advocates say the program currently does not have the funding needed to help affected residents return to stable housing.
Kerrville resident Claudia Limon traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers and advocate for families still struggling after the July flood.
Limon said some residents remain displaced, while others are living in damaged homes with mold because they have nowhere else to go.
“I told her, this is dangerous,” Limon said, describing one family’s living conditions. “But she said, I don’t have nowhere to go. So I want the help that they need. That’s why I’m here, so I can advocate for all these families that they don’t have a home to go to.”
Ashlee Willis, a flood survivor from Travis County and a member of the Sandy Creek Alliance, said many people are still trying to rebuild their lives without the long-term support they need.
“We have a ton of people just hanging out there right now, trying to survive on the daily basis, rebuilding their lives,” Willis said. “And there are systems in place to help that. And we’re here to get that system allocated.”
The group, made up of about 30 delegates from several states, is also calling on U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and others to support federal action.
In Kerrville, the financial toll remains severe for local businesses.
The Kerrville Chamber of Commerce said businesses received $2.3 million in community donations after the 2025 flood. After the 2026 flood, that number dropped to $268,000.
Several businesses have closed because they could not afford to rebuild.
Grassroots organizers say they hope pressure from residents, advocates and elected officials will help unlock federal funding for disaster victims now and in the future.
They are encouraging community members to contact their senators and urge support for disaster recovery assistance.
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