Gov. Greg Abbott provides flood recovery update in Kerrville as cleanup begins

KERRVILLE, Texas – As floodwaters continue to recede across parts of South Central Texas, communities are shifting from emergency response to the long process of cleanup and recovery.

Gov. Greg Abbott surveyed flood-damaged communities in the Kerrville area by helicopter and later met with emergency management officials for updates on search and rescue operations, debris removal, infrastructure restoration and recovery efforts, according to a state press release. Abbott was joined on the aerial assessment by Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd and Texas Military Department Adjutant General Thomas Suelzer.

“I want to thank all the first responders, volunteers, and our fellow Texans for the swift and effective response to the floods,” Abbott said. “We are now transitioning into the process of cleanup and rebuilding. The state is working with local officials to expedite debris removal and accelerate the rebuilding process. We have identified about 490 homes that sustained damage. If you want to donate to assist your fellow Texans who have been affected by these horrific floods, please go to rebuildtx.org.”

In a Kerrville press event, Abbott said the helicopter tour covered areas above Kerr and Kendall counties and showed how rivers “had ravaged communities,” particularly along river contours. He said the damage was “nothing compared to what we saw a year ago,” and added that local officials discussed “lessons learned from Fourth of July last year” that helped communities prepare for this year’s floods.

Abbott said the high water mark “crested at Comfort at 30-7.08 feet on Thursday,” and that the water level was “about five feet” at the time of his remarks. He said the biggest concerns in the coming days were around the Nueces River, with evacuations continuing in areas such as Uvalde. Abbott also said Catula, Tilden and Carrizo Springs remained threatened by “high and rising waters.”

“Just because the skies may be clear here right now, does it mean that the aggregation of water that’s flowing downstream has peaked?” Abbott said, warning that downstream waters would continue to rise and pose dangers.

Abbott said local officials told him “almost all rivers in this region hit record highs,” and that “especially in Kerrville, the flooding this year was worse than the flooding last year.” He also said officials reported that “sirens and warnings they worked,” and that “early warning systems save lives.”

Abbott said he issued a state disaster declaration for 59 counties and later issued a major disaster declaration seeking federal relief for 28 counties. He said the state response has included “more than 2,700 personnel, more than 1,400 vehicles, more than 115 boats, and more than 21 aircraft,” and that “the state has rescued more than 530 people.”

In Kerr County, Abbott said the majority of impacted residents are in owner-occupied single-family homes, creating a need for long-term housing recovery, repair and rebuilding assistance. He said the state had identified “about 490 homes” and “about 100 businesses” in Kerr County that sustained damage, noting the numbers could change. Abbott said about 135 residences sustained major damage or were destroyed, and that 219 households requested voluntary agency cleanup assistance. He said primary needs include debris removal, property cleanup, “muck out and interior demolition,” and heavy equipment support.

Abbott listed volunteer organizations assisting with cleanup and early rebuilding efforts, including Texans on Mission, formerly known as the Texas Baptist Men; Samaritan’s Purse; Team Rubicon; Operation Blessing; and Crisis Response Ministries. He said those efforts are being coordinated through “Cur Together,” with an on-site contact point at the Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville.

Abbott also outlined food distribution locations in Kerrville, saying HEB was providing food at the emergency operations center; Mercy Chefs was providing food at Beacon of Hope Kitchen at 610 Methodist Encampment Road; and the Salvation Army was providing food at Calvary Temple at 300 Texas Highway 534 Loop.

For Kendall County, Abbott said about 100 residences have been damaged, with that number expected to increase as additional areas are fully assessed. He said 23 households requested voluntary agency cleanup assistance, focused on debris removal, general property cleanup, muckout and sheetrock removal, and limited heavy equipment and chainsaw support. He said food was available through World Central Kitchen via mobile feeding, and that there were no volunteer reception centers currently available.

For Comal County, Abbott said three structures had validated assessments, including two residences with minor damage and one affected residence, with no major or destroyed structures identified at that time. He said there were no requests for cleanup assistance and no active sheltering, feeding, volunteer management or long-term recovery operations in the county, though that could change.

Abbott urged Texans in impacted areas to continue monitoring local forecasts, avoid flooded roadways and follow guidance from state and local officials. The state said Texans can find flood resources, preparedness information and recovery assistance at disaster.texas.gov and TexasReady.gov, and current road conditions at DriveTexas.org.

The state said it remains in an elevated response posture and will continue working with local, state and federal partners “until the threat has passed and communities are on the path to full recovery.”

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