RAGING WATERS
The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has launched a relief fund to help communities including those in Bandera and Kendall counties recover from this week’s catastrophic flood.
The fund is geared to support both immediate needs and longterm recovery efforts, officials said.
According to the foundation, the Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Fund will provide grants to nonprofit organizations and civic partners offering emergency assistance, essential services and extended recovery for residents affected by the July 2026 floods across the organization’s 10-county service area.
Community Foundation CEO Austin Dickson announced the fund during a virtual news conference Friday, saying recovery efforts will continue long after floodwaters recede.
“Our hearts break that the Texas Hill Country is once again facing catastrophic flooding,” Dickson said. “Just one year after the devastating July 2025 floods, many of our neighbors are again in harm’s way.”
Dickson said the foundation has spent the past year working with nonprofits on disaster recovery following the July Fourth holiday 2025 deluge — which claimed 139 lives and caused billions of dollars in damage — and expects similar efforts will be needed after this week’s storms.
Those torrential rains pummeled the Hill Country and saw area waterways including the Guadalupe River and Cibolo Creek swell to record levels, leading to evacuations, high-water rescues and damage to infrastructure.
“One of the things we’ve learned in the past year in recovery is not about repairing what was lost, but rebuilding what comes next,” Dickson said. “Recovery is a group project. The best of humanity comes out when communities are healing and repairing.”
According to foundation officials, the relief fund will initially support organizations providing shelter, food, water and cleanup assistance before shifting toward more extensive recovery projects, including rebuilding homes and small businesses.
Officials said the fund is separate from the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund established following the disaster last year.
Meanwhile, state officials reported at least two flood-related deaths elsewhere in South Central Texas this week.
Bandera County Emergency Management Coordinator Judy Lefevers said Friday that no fatalities had been reported in Bandera County, and officials have said the same for Kendall County.
Foundation officials said individuals, businesses and organizations can contribute to the Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Fund to support the rebuilding effort.
According to its website, the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country was founded in 1981 and works with donors to offer grants to nonprofit organizations and award scholarships across a 10-county region that includes Bandera, Blanco, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Mason, Real and Uvalde counties.
The foundation manages more than $100 million in charitable assets and focuses on supporting community needs across the Hill Country.
More information about the foundation and how to donate is available at communityfoundation. net.
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