‘River of Angels' memorial rises in Kerrville as flood victims remembered
While search and rescue operations continue and helicopters buzz overhead, this roadside memorial has become a solemn gathering point for reflection, remembrance and shared sorrow. The photographs put a face to each victim and the flowers represent their lives.
A sign reading "River of Angels" pinned to the rail has given the memorial its unofficial title, a name that gently captures the weight of loss that has transpired here. Kerr County was hit the hardest, with at least 100 deaths and more than 160 still missing.
Faith Brings Light To Devastated Texas Town After Deadly Flooding Disaster
The memorial was started by Leo Soto, who traveled from Miami to lay the first flowers. His Wall of Hope non-profit has been erecting memorials since the Surfside condo building collapse in Miami in 2021.
"It's a place that has become really special... I let the community know that this was taking place and within hours there were dozens and dozens of people helping us to attach the flowers surrounding the pictures of the victims," Soto said of the Kerrville memorial.
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"Since then, people have been bringing teddy bears, children have been bringing drawings, people have been bringing balloons, they're bringing their own flowers. It's become a really powerful place for the community to begin to heal and to just spread some love in the air — in a place that badly needs it."
The River of Angels sign, he added, was placed later by someone he doesn't know — a reflection of how the memorial has taken on a life of its own after Soto laid its foundations.
The scene was at times overwhelming. In one particularly raw moment, a woman studying the photographs let out a sudden shriek. She had apparently recognized a face on the display but had not realized the person was among the deceased.
Visibly shaken, she stumbled away from the fence, crouched down near the curb and made a call on her cell phone, tears streaming down her face that were etched in pain.
Carolyn Miller, a longtime Texas resident, was overcome with emotion too as she spoke of her immense sorrow.
"The grief, it's devastating, and not just now," Miller said. "It will be devastating for years. Some people may never be found. There's just so much debris, silt in the water, it's unbearable."
"What's happened is absolutely heartbreaking to everyone here. I mean, the outpouring of support is unbelievable. I went out to find a place to help clean up — but there were so many volunteers already so I brought cleaning supplies. I brought flowers. And I've cried way too many tears."
She said the resilience of Texans and people across the country has been unshakable.
"Texas Strong. Hill Country Proud," Miller said.
Some were too upset to speak.
Anne Lowery, a lifelong Kerrville resident who experienced previous flooding disasters in the area, said nothing compares to last week's deluge of rain.
"This is way worse than the 1987 flood. The amount of water — and just the people it wiped out. It's tragic," Lowery said. "It's just overwhelming sadness. I have a home and everything's okay in it. And when I get up and go to the kitchen and wash the dishes or something, I just feel like I did nothing. And it's like… I want to do something. I want to help."
Lowery, like many others, spoke fondly of Kervillle Tivy coach Reece Zunker, who died along with his wife. Their two sons are reportedly still missing.
"I knew the coach — he taught both my grandsons in soccer. Everybody loved him. His whole family."
Police Say 'Sightseers' Hindering Texas Recovery Efforts As Teams Search For Victims In Debris
Madison Boner, a local high school student, said Zunker helped her overcome her lack of confidence.
"He was a great teacher. I had him for construction but he also taught robotics and soccer," Boner said. "He was super encouraging and nice. I was always real shy, so sometimes he would have to make me speak my mind."
"Like he would say, 'Hey, can you tell the other students what to do today?' because he wanted me to find my voice. He wanted the best future for all of his students."
Boner said Zunker was supposed to teach her for another three years but instead wouldn't make it to the new school year, like other victims.
"These people… these are our community. Some kids are gonna go back to school and just have to sit there like, 'She's not here.' It's heartbreaking. This took people. You can't reverse it."
For many, turning to faith brings some comfort.
Bishop Julian Dobbs of the St. Michael and All Angels Church in Kerrville was at the memorial too and said his church has been offering prayer and presence to first responders and victims. He, along with Bishop Marc Steele, encouraged people to gather for worship and to find hope in the power of faith in tragedy.
"How can you not look at those photographs and realize that every single human being — every life, young and old — is precious and sacred?" Dobbs said. "These were beautiful people, just living their lives, serving one another and in one moment, their lives were snuffed out. Their families changed forever."
Dobbs said that one of his pastors was lucky to get out with his life as his rector was completely destroyed, while other members of the church had a family member who was killed.
"There are still considerable numbers of people who are yet to be found, who are missing, so this community has changed forever," Dobbs said.
"This is a time to gather around what is the focus of the Christian faith — the hope that Jesus brings us — gather to worship Him and receive the support of each other."Original article source: 'River of Angels' memorial rises in Kerrville as flood victims remembered
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3 hours ago
Armies of Texas volunteers dig out, clean up, after fatal floods
COMFORT, Texas -- It began with a stranger asking 'Do you need help?' 'Yes,' Paul Welch told the man in a pickup truck, 'I desperately need some help." A day later, dozens of people pulled up outside the modest cabin where Welch and his partner lived overlooking the Guadalupe River until Texas' July 4 floods. The devastated property looked like a construction site Saturday after operators started clearing debris with mini-excavators and skid steers. An Army unit from Fort Hood scraped mud out of the cabin while other people tore down drywall. A Bible study group from San Antonio hand-washed tools from Welch's barn. His niece carefully wiped old negatives, hoping to preserve some of the couple's memories. Texans are leading flood recovery even as more flooding hits and the search for the missing continues. Mass cleanup across Kerr County — about 1.5 hours northwest of San Antonio — came Saturday before heavy rain pelted the region again on Sunday. For Welch and Elizabeth Hastings, the July 4 floods sent water to their ceiling, wiped out their RV and ruined most of the items in their barn. "Up until yesterday, it was pretty bleak,' he said. Then, Welch said the man in the truck — Huntly Dantzler of Fredericksburg, 20 miles away — 'he showed up.' 'I thought that is just too good to be true," Welch said. "We have hope now.' In many places, volunteer labor includes debris removal and remediation often done by hired contractors and out of reach for households lacking insurance. Many survivors said it was simply too expensive. 'It's impossible here in the floodplain,' Welch said. 'Paying $10,000 a year for flood insurance doesn't make sense.' The survivors who spoke with The Associated Press said they didn't have insurance but had already applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That money is rarely enough to cover all the costs of replacing, remediating and rebuilding and only 116 FEMA applications were approved as of Sunday. Many of those working together didn't know each other before the disaster — they've connected over social media, in public spaces or just by driving around looking for places to help. 'There's thousands of volunteers out here, more than needed, honestly. It's wild, and everyone is just lending a hand,' said Dave Isaacs, who came from San Antonio with his wife and daughter to help. Three people arrived at Daniel Olivas' home in Guadalupe Street in Kerrville last week with a skid steer and an excavator to clear debris. Water from the Guadalupe River overtook his house on July 4, leaving fish and crawdads floating in the bedrooms. Soon after, "33 angels descended' onto the property, said Olivas, removing furniture, scrubbing floors, and tearing out drywall. 'It's just amazing because I didn't ask for it,' said Olivas. 'They just showed up.' Some even insisted on leaving him cash, stuffing it into his pocket when he resisted. The help has come from businesses, too. The RV seller Camping World donated a pre-owned RV for Welch and Hastings to sleep in as long as they need. A plumbing company installed a new water treatment system for their neighbor for free. 'We're all heartbroken, and everyone's just pitching in,' said Monica Watson, a hopsice worker helping Olivas' neighbor, an older man who depended on a wheelchair. 'He was just waiting for help,' she said. She said she had no connection to her collaborators other than a shared desire to contribute. 'One guy just said 'I'm Ben, I have a Bobcat (tractor),' and that was it,'' she said. A woman drove by asking if they needed another trailer to haul away trash, and returned with one minutes later. Volunteering can help people cope with trauma, said Dr. Adrienne Heinz, a clinical research psychologist at Stanford University and an expert in post-traumatic stress. 'When something awful happens, a powerful human response can occur called 'purposing,'' said Heinz. 'This is when we rise to meet moments of sorrow and adversity with action that is meaningful and values-aligned.' Purposing 'offers a buffer against hopelessness and despair and can set the stage for post-traumatic growth and transformational resilience,' said Heinz. For those impacted, seeing the care flow in from all over the world is also healing. 'I cannot express how much I appreciate everything that they have done for us,' said Colleen Lucas of Ingram, as staff with the international charity Operation Blessing helped her husband, Dave, repair one of their cars that had been submerged in water. 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5 hours ago
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Armies of Texas volunteers dig out, clean up, after fatal floods
COMFORT, Texas (AP) — It began with a stranger asking 'Do you need help?' 'Yes,' Paul Welch told the man in a pickup truck, 'I desperately need some help.' A day later, dozens of people pulled up outside the modest cabin where Welch and his partner lived overlooking the Guadalupe River until Texas' July 4 floods . The devastated property looked like a construction site Saturday after operators started clearing debris with mini-excavators and skid steers. An Army unit from Fort Hood scraped mud out of the cabin while other people tore down drywall. A Bible study group from San Antonio hand-washed tools from Welch's barn. His niece carefully wiped old negatives, hoping to preserve some of the couple's memories. Texans are leading flood recovery even as more flooding hits and the search for the missing continues. Mass cleanup across Kerr County — about 1.5 hours northwest of San Antonio — came Saturday before heavy rain pelted the region again on Sunday. For Welch and Elizabeth Hastings, the July 4 floods sent water to their ceiling, wiped out their RV and ruined most of the items in their barn. 'Up until yesterday, it was pretty bleak,' he said. Then, Welch said the man in the truck — Huntly Dantzler of Fredericksburg, 20 miles away — 'he showed up.' 'I thought that is just too good to be true,' Welch said. 'We have hope now.' One ruined home In many places, volunteer labor includes debris removal and remediation often done by hired contractors and out of reach for households lacking insurance. Many survivors said it was simply too expensive. 'It's impossible here in the floodplain,' Welch said. 'Paying $10,000 a year for flood insurance doesn't make sense.' The survivors who spoke with The Associated Press said they didn't have insurance but had already applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 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'They just showed up.' Some even insisted on leaving him cash, stuffing it into his pocket when he resisted. The help has come from businesses, too. The RV seller Camping World donated a pre-owned RV for Welch and Hastings to sleep in as long as they need. A plumbing company installed a new water treatment system for their neighbor for free. 'We're all heartbroken, and everyone's just pitching in,' said Monica Watson, a hopsice worker helping Olivas' neighbor, an older man who depended on a wheelchair. 'He was just waiting for help,' she said. She said she had no connection to her collaborators other than a shared desire to contribute. 'One guy just said 'I'm Ben, I have a Bobcat (tractor),' and that was it,'' she said. A woman drove by asking if they needed another trailer to haul away trash, and returned with one minutes later. Volunteering helps everyone Volunteering can help people cope with trauma, said Dr. Adrienne Heinz, a clinical research psychologist at Stanford University and an expert in post-traumatic stress. 'When something awful happens, a powerful human response can occur called 'purposing,'' said Heinz. 'This is when we rise to meet moments of sorrow and adversity with action that is meaningful and values-aligned.' Purposing 'offers a buffer against hopelessness and despair and can set the stage for post-traumatic growth and transformational resilience,' said Heinz. For those impacted, seeing the care flow in from all over the world is also healing. 'I cannot express how much I appreciate everything that they have done for us,' said Colleen Lucas of Ingram, as staff with the international charity Operation Blessing helped her husband, Dave, repair one of their cars that had been submerged in water. 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6 hours ago
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Armies of Texas volunteers dig out, clean up, after fatal floods
COMFORT, Texas (AP) — It began with a stranger asking 'Do you need help?' 'Yes,' Paul Welch told the man in a pickup truck, 'I desperately need some help." A day later, dozens of people pulled up outside the modest cabin where Welch and his partner lived overlooking the Guadalupe River until Texas' July 4 floods. The devastated property looked like a construction site Saturday after operators started clearing debris with mini-excavators and skid steers. An Army unit from Fort Hood scraped mud out of the cabin while other people tore down drywall. A Bible study group from San Antonio hand-washed tools from Welch's barn. His niece carefully wiped old negatives, hoping to preserve some of the couple's memories. Texans are leading flood recovery even as more flooding hits and the search for the missing continues. Mass cleanup across Kerr County — about 1.5 hours northwest of San Antonio — came Saturday before heavy rain pelted the region again on Sunday. For Welch and Elizabeth Hastings, the July 4 floods sent water to their ceiling, wiped out their RV and ruined most of the items in their barn. "Up until yesterday, it was pretty bleak,' he said. Then, Welch said the man in the truck — Huntly Dantzler of Fredericksburg, 20 miles away — 'he showed up.' 'I thought that is just too good to be true," Welch said. "We have hope now.' One ruined home In many places, volunteer labor includes debris removal and remediation often done by hired contractors and out of reach for households lacking insurance. Many survivors said it was simply too expensive. 'It's impossible here in the floodplain,' Welch said. 'Paying $10,000 a year for flood insurance doesn't make sense.' The survivors who spoke with The Associated Press said they didn't have insurance but had already applied for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That money is rarely enough to cover all the costs of replacing, remediating and rebuilding and only 116 FEMA applications were approved as of Sunday. Meeting post-disaster Many of those working together didn't know each other before the disaster — they've connected over social media, in public spaces or just by driving around looking for places to help. 'There's thousands of volunteers out here, more than needed, honestly. It's wild, and everyone is just lending a hand,' said Dave Isaacs, who came from San Antonio with his wife and daughter to help. Three people arrived at Daniel Olivas' home in Guadalupe Street in Kerrville last week with a skid steer and an excavator to clear debris. Water from the Guadalupe River overtook his house on July 4, leaving fish and crawdads floating in the bedrooms. Soon after, "33 angels descended' onto the property, said Olivas, removing furniture, scrubbing floors, and tearing out drywall. 'It's just amazing because I didn't ask for it,' said Olivas. 'They just showed up.' Some even insisted on leaving him cash, stuffing it into his pocket when he resisted. The help has come from businesses, too. The RV seller Camping World donated a pre-owned RV for Welch and Hastings to sleep in as long as they need. A plumbing company installed a new water treatment system for their neighbor for free. 'We're all heartbroken, and everyone's just pitching in,' said Monica Watson, a hopsice worker helping Olivas' neighbor, an older man who depended on a wheelchair. 'He was just waiting for help,' she said. She said she had no connection to her collaborators other than a shared desire to contribute. 'One guy just said 'I'm Ben, I have a Bobcat (tractor),' and that was it,'' she said. A woman drove by asking if they needed another trailer to haul away trash, and returned with one minutes later. Volunteering helps everyone Volunteering can help people cope with trauma, said Dr. Adrienne Heinz, a clinical research psychologist at Stanford University and an expert in post-traumatic stress. 'When something awful happens, a powerful human response can occur called 'purposing,'' said Heinz. 'This is when we rise to meet moments of sorrow and adversity with action that is meaningful and values-aligned.' Purposing 'offers a buffer against hopelessness and despair and can set the stage for post-traumatic growth and transformational resilience,' said Heinz. For those impacted, seeing the care flow in from all over the world is also healing. 'I cannot express how much I appreciate everything that they have done for us,' said Colleen Lucas of Ingram, as staff with the international charity Operation Blessing helped her husband, Dave, repair one of their cars that had been submerged in water. The staff members from Mexico, Honduras and Chile, along with 42 members of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, hauled out Lucas' destroyed belongings and packed and stored their salvageable items. She is unsure whether her home will need to be demolished, or how and when they will rebuild. But she's already thinking about how to pay forward the help they got. 'We lost a lot but we're going to be donating when we're up and going,' she said.
