Texas strong

By now, we’ve all read the headlines, watched the devastating footage, and heard harrowing accounts of the catastrophic flood that overtook the Texas Hill Country early in the morning on the Fourth of July. In mere hours, the Guadalupe River rose by nearly 30 feet and tore through parts of Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, and communities along the path, quickly becoming one of the most destructive severe weather events our state has ever experienced. In Kerr County alone, more than 100 people lost their lives, including children at Camp Mystic, and some are still missing.

This flooding caused unimaginable damage to neighborhoods, businesses, and camps in the Hill Country and throughout Central Texas, but the aftershocks of this tragedy – the anguish, grief, and heartbreak – have been felt by Texans in every corner of our state. Some of us lost a loved one, many of us are friends, neighbors, or coworkers with someone who knew a victim, and all of us have been brought to our knees in prayer and mourning.

But even in the darkest times, Texans come together to serve one another in a powerful way. In the aftermath of this tragedy, we have witnessed example after example of Texans helping Texans.