The Flood A Year Later

Relief director: ‘Recovery is real'

KERRVILLE — What took hours to destroy is taking months to rebuild, and no one knows that better than Austin Dickson.

Last July Fourth, the area experienced a tragedy that changed lives forever, said Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.

Torrential rains dumped nearly unprecedented amounts of water into the Guadalupe River basin starting in Kerr County, then roared through homes and campsites to claim 139 lives and caused billions of dollars in damage.

“Families lost loved ones. Homes were destroyed. Businesses struggled to survive. The emotional toll was visible everywhere,” Dickson said.

But residents, businesses, first responders and relief agencies rallied to lend each other a helping hand.