{"id":360235,"date":"2026-07-03T19:05:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T19:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/360235\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T19:05:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T19:05:21","slug":"one-year-after-the-floods-central-texas-is-still-grieving-rebuilding-demanding-answers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/360235\/","title":{"rendered":"One year after the floods, Central Texas is still grieving, rebuilding, demanding answers"},"content":{"rendered":"

AUSTIN, Texas \u2014 A year after floodwaters tore through Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, the damage is still measured in lives lost, families forever changed, homes not yet rebuilt, and questions still unanswered. From Kerr County to Sandy Creek, the floods swallowed roads, homes, cabins and camps in minutes. More than 130 people were killed across the region.<\/p>\n

CBS Austin\u2019s special newscast, \u201cRising Waters: One Year After the Floods,\u201d looks at where recovery stands across the Hill Country and Central Texas, and what still needs to change before the next major flood. The special airs Friday at 6:30 p.m. on CBS Austin, followed by a Sinclair “You Voice. Your Future.” town hall streaming at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

\"Watch<\/p>\n

Watch on CBS Austin News at 6:30 pm on July 3, 2026<\/p>\n

KERR COUNTY<\/p>\n

In Kerr County alone, 119 people lost their lives when the Guadalupe River surged with rainwater, destroying nearly everything in its path. Two families are still waiting for answers: 8-year-old Cecilia \u201cCile\u201d Steward, a Camp Mystic camper, and 63-year-old Jeffrey Ramsey, a father from Lewisville, remain missing.<\/p>\n

\"CAMP<\/p>\n

CAMP MYSTIC FLOODING 3.png<\/p>\n

When weather and water allow, divers and volunteers still return to search, hoping to bring closure to their families.<\/p>\n

William Whitson, with the long-term recovery group Kerr Together, said that the search effort has been unlike anything he has seen in more than a decade of disaster response. \u201cThey will not quit until the mission is done,\u201d Whitson said. Whitson said the organization has been working with the state, and it’ll be the governor’s call when to stop recovery efforts.<\/p>\n

\"(Photo<\/p>\n

(Photo courtesy: Search and Support San Antonio)<\/p>\n

Gov. Greg Abbott was not available for an interview ahead of the anniversary, but said in a statement to CBS Austin, \u201cWe honor every life lost and continue to pray for the families still waiting for answers.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Alicia and Harry Baker, the riverbank in Kerr County is now both a place of memory and unbearable loss. They lost their 11-year-old daughter, Emmy, and Alicia\u2019s parents in the flood. A year later, only a concrete slab and a memorial heart remain where the family cabin once stood. Alicia said that Emmy had two fears: storms and being left alone. That thought still haunts her.<\/p>\n

Emmy, her parents said, was smart, confident and unforgettable \u2014 a child who could talk to anyone. \u201cThe best word to describe her is firecracker,\u201d Harry Baker said. Using Emmy\u2019s ashes, Alicia had a memorial diamond made, one she now wears over her heart. \u201cMy plan is that I just never take it off,\u201d Alicia said. \u201cI can always have her with me. She\u2019ll never be alone.\u201d Alicia worked with Kerrville-based Eterneva to create the memorial diamond to carry Emmy forever.<\/p>\n

FULL STORY | She’ll Never Be Alone: A Texas Mother’s Promise After the 2025 July 4 Hill Country Floods<\/a><\/p>\n

NORTHWEST TRAVIS COUNTY<\/p>\n

Sandy Creek residents are still fighting to rebuild. The floods that struck overnight from July 4 to July 5 killed 10 people in the area.<\/p>\n

Ashlee Willis, who lives with her family on a Sandy Creek property, told CBS Austin that surviving the storm was only the beginning. \u201cSurviving the storm was the easiest thing ever. It was horrifying, but it was three hours,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"(Courtesy:<\/p>\n

(Courtesy: Ashley Willis)<\/p>\n

A year later, she said that insurance disputes, new permitting requirements, and the lack of a road strong enough for construction vehicles have delayed rebuilding.<\/p>\n

\"(CBS<\/p>\n

Her mother, Brandy Gerstner, has lived on the property for 36 years. \u201cIt was 36 years of blood, sweat and tears to build this place,\u201d she told CBS Austin. \u201cIn one night everything\u2019s gone,\u201d Willis said. Sandy Creek rose up to 40 feet, destroying a lifetime of memories. When temporary gravel repairs washed away again before a permanent fix, Willis said, \u201cA year later, it\u2019s very clear we are not a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Travis County Judge Andy Brown told CBS Austin that the repair process had taken \u201ctoo long,\u201d citing purchasing, county attorney agreements, and formal bidding requirements.<\/p>\n

Less than a week after that interview, Willis sent CBS Austin photos showing the county back in Sandy Creek working on the road she calls the gateway to rebuilding her family\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

\"(Photo<\/p>\n

(Photo courtesy: Ashley Willis)<\/p>\n

WILLIAMSON COUNTY<\/p>\n

In Williamson County, leaders say the flood\u2019s impact is still being felt. Three people died there, RV parks were badly damaged, and many people lost homes.<\/p>\n

County Judge Steven Snell said the county has focused on communication and preparedness over the past year, including exploring improved alert systems along rivers.<\/p>\n

FULL STORY | One year after deadly July 4 weekend floods, Williamson County boosts communication<\/a><\/p>\n

INGREDIENTS OF A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME STORM<\/p>\n

Meteorologist Avery Tomasco explained that the disaster began with a dangerous combination: the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry and the terrain of Flash Flood Alley.<\/p>\n

\"(CBS<\/p>\n

Barry made landfall in Mexico on June 29, 2025. Its remnants later moved up the Rio Grande, turned into Central Texas, and became trapped between two areas of high pressure. In a tropical atmosphere, storms can produce \u201crain bombs\u201d of 10 to 20 inches. In the Hill Country, shallow soil, bedrock, and steep terrain turn that rainfall into rapid runoff, quickly filling creeks and rivers.<\/p>\n

\"(CBS<\/p>\n

The flood also tested Central Texas\u2019 dam system. Meteorologist Michael Crowley said that 28 million gallons per minute flowed into the Colorado River from the San Saba, putting the Highland Lakes dams to work.<\/p>\n

\"(CBS<\/p>\n

Lake Buchanan filled to capacity, prompting floodgate operations for the first time since 2019. The water flowed through Inks Lake, Lake LBJ, and Lake Marble Falls before reaching Lake Travis, which was 37 feet below normal at the time. Lake Travis rose nearly 40 feet in two weeks, reversing drought concerns even as the source of that water was catastrophic and heartbreaking. CBS Austin reported in the immediate aftermath that Lake Travis had already risen by more than 21 feet by July 8, 2025, as storm runoff continued to move downstream.<\/p>\n

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Deadly, devastating flash floods across Central Texas (July 2025)<\/a><\/p>\n

WHAT’S CHANGED? WHAT HASN’T?<\/p>\n

The tragedy also led to changes in Texas law. Lawmakers passed new flood warning and summer camp safety requirements, including outdoor warning systems, emergency plans, drills and restrictions on cabins in designated floodplains.<\/p>\n

\"Camp<\/p>\n

Camp Mystic\u2019s college-age counselors had no emergency training or drills before a gigantic and deadly flood swept through the historic girls youth camp last summer, an investigator told state legislators Monday. (Photo: CBS Austin)<\/p>\n

Camp Mystic remains at the center of that conversation. A state investigative report found the camp lacked required written emergency plans, failed to evacuate campers in time and had chaotic reunification efforts after the flood. The camp later withdrew its application to reopen for summer 2026 and has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid lawsuits from victims\u2019 families.<\/p>\n

\"Heart-wrenching<\/p>\n

Heart-wrenching testimony from parents whose children died in the Camp Mystic floods moved the Texas Senate Disaster Preparedness and Flooding Committee to tears as they call for the committee to pass Senate Bill1, the youth camp safety bill. (Photo: TX Senate)<\/p>\n

Some camp operators have pushed back on parts of the new law, including a fiber optic internet requirement that state health officials partially waived for the 2026 season. Lawmakers are expected to revisit camp safety in the 2027 legislative session.<\/p>\n

WHAT’S NEXT?<\/p>\n

One year later, progress is visible in some places. The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country reported that 228 flood-affected households are either in permanent housing or on a pathway toward it, including 130 already in permanent housing. The foundation said the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund has raised more than $150 million and distributed $82 million across Kerr County and the Hill Country.<\/p>\n

FULL STORY | Nearly a year after Hill Country floods, 228 households are home or recovering<\/a><\/p>\n

But recovery is not finished. Families are still grieving. Survivors are still rebuilding. Communities are still asking whether warnings, roads, emergency plans and laws will be strong enough the next time the water rises.<\/p>\n

CBS Austin will continue to follow the recovery, ask the questions families still have and hold leaders accountable as Central Texas rebuilds and prepares for the future.<\/p>\n

YOUR VOICE. YOUR FUTURE.<\/p>\n

\"(CBS<\/p>\n

Ahead of the anniversary, CBS Austin hosted a town hall, led by Walt Maciborski and Chief Meteorologist Chikage Windler, that brought together State Rep. Wes Virdell, who represents Kerr County, Jenee Lambertson with Rebuild Sandy Creek, and Bruce Clements, director of the Williamson County Office of Emergency Management. They discussed recovery, weather warnings, rebuilding, summer camps, and what still needs to be addressed before Texas\u2019 next devastating flood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"AUSTIN, Texas \u2014 A year after floodwaters tore through Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":229234,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,29,28],"class_list":["post-360235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=360235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/360235\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=360235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=360235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=360235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}