Scarred but still standing: Kerrville marks a year of resilience after the floods

From Texas Public Radio:

On July 4, the city held its annual Independence Day celebration in Louise Hays Park. The Guadalupe River runs right through the park, where massive bald cypress trees—scarred but still standing—line both banks.

Among those volunteering at the celebration was Kirk Kniffen. He said he was doing well, but added:

“I lost one of my good friends, Reece Zunker, [who] was one of my coworkers and a good friend of mine,” he said.

Like many volunteers in Kerrville, Kniffen stepped in to help in any way he could.

“As soon as the waters came down, I went out and tried to help look for him and his family,” Kniffen said.

Zunker, his wife and two children all lost their lives, and Kniffen spent 10 days with a search team trying to find him.

Eric Herr was part of a dive team that spent the year searching the Guadalupe.

“I’m part of a search and rescue group out of San Antonio,” Herr said. “So, as soon as we heard about the flooding, we started heading out toward Spring Branch and working our way north.”

He and his team returned to Kerrville repeatedly over the past year. Herr’s front-row seat to the recovery effort left him impressed.

“I think Kerrville and the surrounding areas done an outstanding job, considering the amount of devastation, and I know there’s a lot of pain still in the community about what happened, but I think it’s rebounded well,” he said.

Among the efforts to help the community heal was the free Symphony of the Hills concert at the Cailloux Theater. Gov. Greg Abbott stopped by and praised the community’s resilience. Something he said prompted an instant encore.

“But through it all, Kerrville did…not…blink.”

He started another sentence, but the crowd stopped him with applause.

Sitting in the Cailloux Theater was Jennifer Dashiell, who brought her daughter to the concert. She’s happy with the path toward healing the city and county have taken.

“I feel like the city’s come together in a big way. They’re here for creating events, so that the community can continue to get together,” Dashiell said. “They’ve made efforts to make sure that we’re taken care of as a community, not just as individuals.”

Together, their stories reflect a community still rebuilding.

While many survivors faced delays or challenges navigating federal assistance, the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has raised about $150 million and distributed more than $82 million to help families rebuild homes, reopen businesses and support long-term recovery.

The anniversary also comes as officials continue examining what happened that morning and how Hill Country communities can be better prepared. In a region known as “Flash Flood Alley,” local leaders hope new warning systems and emergency plans will help ensure communities are never caught off guard again.

A year later, many in Kerrville say the community has come a long way, and that coming together has been an important part of healing.

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