On July 14 this past summer, I pulled up to the Kerrville Kroc Corps Community Center, dodging puddles and sinkholes from a recent thunderstorm in a town where the last thing needed was more rain.
On July 14 this past summer, I pulled up to the Kerrville Kroc Corps Community Center, dodging puddles and sinkholes from a recent thunderstorm in a town where the last thing needed was more rain. I was there as a volunteer to help people impacted by the worst flooding central Texas had seen since record-keeping began.
Ten days prior, in the early hours of July 4, heavy thunderstorms in Kerr County led the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in less than 45 minutes. At least 135 people were killed, with the most deaths located in Kerr County. And the ramifications of the disaster continue to unfold: the head of FEMA, David Richardson, recently resigned, and lawsuits continue to roll in.
After walking inside the community center with my friend and her sister, we signed in as part of the disaster response volunteer group that focused on receiving and sorting donations, managing intake forms, shopping for specific needs and loading bundled donations into vehicles. As cogs in the wheel of efficiency that seems to only develop during times like this, we were given a quick tour of the community center before we were assigned specific roles.
Read more at: Columbia Climate School
The flooded Guadalupe River near Kerrville, Texas, on July 5, 2025. (Photo Credit: US Coast Guard)
