Texas Flood Victims Need Your Help–How to Support Texas Flood Victims

Texas Flood Victims Need Your Help–How to Support Texas Flood Victims

I wanted to talk to you all today because my heart is just absolutely broken. It’s broken for the families, for the communities, and for every single precious life lost in the catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country. There’s a heaviness in the air right now… a collective grief that I know so many of you are feeling, whether you’re in Texas or watching this from thousands of miles away. You know, sometimes a tragedy is so big, so sudden, that words just feel useless. This is one of those times. But staying silent feels wrong. It feels like a disservice to the memory of those who are gone. So today, I just want to sit with this for a minute, to acknowledge this profound loss, honor the victims, and stand with a community that’s facing something no one should ever have to face. 

In the quiet, pre-dawn hours of July 4th, while most of us were getting ready for a day of celebration, the Guadalupe River was turning into something terrifying. In one area, the river surged an unbelievable 26 feet in just 45 minutes. That’s a number that’s hard to even wrap your head around. It’s a testament to the awful power of the water that ripped through homes, tore up roads, and changed lives forever in a few short moments. This wasn’t just a flood; it was a sudden, violent event that took so many lives, including those of children at camp. 

The Scale of the Tragedy 

The news that’s been coming out since Friday has been gut-wrenching. As of the latest reports, at least 82 people have lost their lives in this disaster. That number alone is staggering, but it’s the stories behind that number that are just so heartbreaking. In Kerr County, which was hit the hardest, officials have confirmed at least 68 fatalities, and that number includes 28 children. Twenty-eight kids. Just let that sink in for a second. Young lives, full of promise and light, just gone. 

At the heart of this tragedy is the devastating loss at an all-girls Christian summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe. For generations, that camp was a place of summer traditions, of friendship, and laughter. A place where girls learned to be confident young women. It was supposed to be a safe place. And now, it’s the site of unimaginable grief. News reports confirm dozens of campers and staff were lost to the floodwaters, with many still unaccounted for as search operations continue. The pain of those families, holding on to any sliver of hope while fearing the absolute worst… it’s something no one should ever have to go through. We’ve also heard reports that camp leaders died heroically trying to save the girls in their care. 

And this tragedy, it reaches so far beyond the camp. It’s touched families all across the region—visitors who were just there for the holiday weekend, and residents who’ve called the Hill Country home their entire lives. We’re hearing stories of entire families swept away, of homes that stood for decades now just gone. The number of people still considered missing across the state stands at 41, and authorities fear that number may grow as they get a clearer picture of the devastation. Every single one of those missing people represents a family in agony, a community just holding its breath.

Personal Reflection & Shared Humanity 

I just can’t stop thinking about it. My wife can’t stop thinking about it.  We keep picturing the chaos, the fear, and what the final moments must have been like for so many. I think about the parents who sent their daughters off to summer camp, expecting them to come home with stories and friendship bracelets, only to get the worst news a parent could ever hear. I think about the counselors, young people themselves, put in an impossible situation, so many of them acting with unbelievable courage. I think about the first responders, police, firefighters, EMS, and more, wading into those dangerous waters, seeing things that will haunt them forever. 

There’s this deep sense of sadness and helplessness that I know a lot of you watching are feeling, too. You don’t have to be from Texas or know someone involved to feel your heart break. That’s a human reaction. It’s empathy. It’s recognizing that we’re all connected, and that the loss of a child in Kerrville is a loss for all of us. It’s a terrifying reminder of how fragile life is, and how fast everything can be taken away. And look, this isn’t about making the tragedy about our own feelings. It’s about acknowledging that this kind of sorrow ripples outward, and showing these families and this community that they are not alone. We see their pain, we hear their cries, and we are grieving with them. 

Honoring the Victims & Supporting the Community 

When we’re faced with a loss this big, it’s so important that we don’t just see the numbers. We have to remember the people. We may not have known them, but we know what they represented. The campers were joy, innocence, friendship, and the promise of a future they never got to live. They were daughters and sisters and friends, and their light was put out far too soon. The counselors were mentors and protectors who chose to spend their summer guiding others. These weren’t just names on a list; they were vibrant people whose absence leaves a hole that can never be filled. 

And to the entire camp family, to the people of Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, and all the towns in the Hill Country: please know that people across the country are holding you in their hearts. We are grieving with you. We are in awe of your strength. And we stand with you. The pictures of the damage are so hard to look at, but they’re matched by pictures of neighbors helping neighbors and strangers offering comfort. That is the true spirit of Texas, and it’s a powerful light in the middle of all this despair. The first responders—from local, state, and federal agencies—have been working nonstop, conducting countless rescues and continuing their search under the most difficult conditions imaginable. Their dedication is a beacon of hope in this dark time. 

How Can We Help? 

I know the first thing so many of us think is, “What can I do to help?” That feeling of helplessness makes us want to do something, anything. And you can. There are incredible organizations already there, providing support. The David Smith Law Firm, PLLC has made donations to the following non-profits: Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which has set up the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund to get money directly to local organizations that need it.  Shalom Austin is providing aid to help families directly impacted by the floods in Central Texas. Every donation will go to provide urgent support and recovery assistance.  Austin Pets Alive! is working to care for animals in the affected areas which are displaced, homeless, and/or injured.  

If you’re able to give, I really encourage you to find these and other verified, official funds. Please be careful of individual online fundraisers unless you personally know they’re legitimate. The need is huge, and every little bit helps these communities start the long, painful process of rebuilding. 

But maybe even more important right now, we can offer our compassion. Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is just show that we care. Leave a message of love for the families. Share a prayer for the community. Offer a word of thanks to the first responders. Let’s create a wave of compassion so powerful that it can be felt all the way in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Let them know they are not alone. 

Closing Thoughts, For Now

There’s no easy way to end a post like this. There are no words that can fix the hurt. The road ahead for these families and this community is going to be long and incredibly painful. The July 4th holiday will forever be marked by this sadness. But in the darkness, we have to hold on to the light of memory and the strength of community. 

Thank you for taking a moment to sit with this with me. To the families of the victims, we offer our deepest, most sincere condolences. Your loved ones will not be forgotten. May their memories be a blessing, and may this community, bound together by grief, find strength and comfort in each other.