Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are an “integral part” of flood cleanup in central Texas, ChurchofJesusChrist.org recently reported. Efforts include aiding in search and rescue, helping coordinate volunteers and returning lost items to their owners.
On July 4, nearly 2 feet of rain fell in parts of central Texas, an area nicknamed “Flash Flood Alley” because of how prone it is to flooding. Within several hours of the July 4 rains, the Guadalupe River rose almost 35 feet.
More than 135 people died in the flooding, including Sally Graves, a 91-year-old Latter-day Saint from Hunt, Texas.
Nearly 40 of those deaths were children, mainly in Kerr County, where all-girls summer camp Camp Mystic is located. Twenty-seven campers and counselors lost their lives in the floods.
Church News previously reported that Kerrville is about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, near where the North and South forks of the Guadalupe River converge, while Camp Mystic is farther upstream along the South Fork. Other severely impacted areas are along Texas’ Colorado River, particularly around Marble Falls, north of San Antonio and west of Austin.
The Church’s North America Southwest Area presidency — Elders Jose L. Alonso, Michael A. Dunn and Jonathan S. Schmitt — released a statement of hope and comfort on July 7, writing that they “mourn and pray for those who lost loved ones and friends.”
Local Latter-day Saints step up
The Guadalupe River flooding created challenging circumstances — rather than widespread flooding, such as a hurricane might cause, the destruction occurred along a narrow, 125-mile path.
That’s why in the weeks after the flooding, authorities asked that large-scale relief operations be put on hold while search efforts concluded.
So local Latter-day Saints have instead focused on the needs of their immediate communities. For instance, members of the San Antonio Texas La Cantera Stake have provided around 4,000 volunteer hours of service to date, assisting with emergency rescue, heavy machinery support, volunteer coordination, medical response, mucking, drywall removal, donation gathering and sorting, debris removal, artifact recovery, animal shelter assistance and wellness checks.
“This recovery is far from over,” said La Cantera Stake President J. Michael Villarreal. “But the foundation laid by our members — one of humility, hard work and harmony with local partners — positions the Church as a trusted, helpful presence for the months of healing and rebuilding ahead.”
Other Latter-day Saints have been involved with search-and-rescue efforts. Clint Johnson of the San Antonio Fire Department is a Latter-day Saint and was one of hundreds of first responders on the scene as the floodwaters rose.
He recalled seeing four girls walking across a field in only their nightgowns, soaking wet and covered in mud.
“I felt the Spirit strongly speaking to me that these people need a lot of help,” Johnson said. “You could just see in their faces the hurt, the pain. Some were telling stories of loss, and many were telling stories of survival.”
Louis Deppe, another Latter-day Saint, volunteered to search for missing people along the riverbank after learning that his friend’s daughter was unaccounted for.
He was motivated by a desire to follow Christ’s example. “That’s why we’re here, is to go through trials and comfort others,” Deppe said, adding that the Church is “a Church of action. It’s a Church of not just talk[ing] about it. Let’s go help.”
Other Latter-day Saints are assisting with volunteer coordination and property recovery. For instance, Audra Miller helped spread the word about Crisis Cleanup, an emergency response tool that assists volunteers in their service efforts. Miller made flyers and distributed them among businesses, neighborhoods, fire departments and sheriff’s offices.
Another Latter-day Saint, Megan Wilson, is working with a group that uses social media to locate the owners of items found along the Guadalupe River. The process includes washing and caring for the items and then “doing the sacred work” of attempting to return property to owners.
“We’ve seen many, many miracles over the past couple of weeks,” Wilson said.
Red Cross collaboration
In addition to local service efforts, the Church is also collaborating with the American Red Cross, helping pay for temporary housing for displaced homeowners.
Bethany Patterson, Red Cross public affairs manager, said the Church’s contributions are allowing the Red Cross to focus on providing health care and mental health services to displaced homeowners.
“We will be here for the long term,” Patterson said. “We are here for people, and it’s thanks to support from partners like you, so thank you.”
