Churches across the Texas Hill Country opened their facilities Thursday to shelter residents displaced by catastrophic flooding that swept away homes and recreational vehicles and left at least two people dead.
At Calvary Temple Church in Kerrville, volunteer Soyla Reyna helped oversee a temporary shelter that served nearly 50 people during the morning, according to The Texas Tribune. Families arrived looking for basic supplies and a safe place to stay after fast-moving floodwaters devastated the area.
In other communities, neighbors gathered in private homes to begin cleaning up damaged properties, while shelters provided displaced residents with hot food and fresh clothing, the Tribune reported.
Samaritan’s Purse announced that it was sending a disaster relief unit to the Hill Country, with staff members and volunteers scheduled to assist residents in Uvalde County. The Christian humanitarian organization said it would operate from Uvalde Methodist Church, where teams were expected to begin Sunday removing damaged belongings and clearing mud from flooded homes.
The organization also said chaplains from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Rapid Response Team were being deployed. Samaritan’s Purse planned to evaluate damage in Kerr County as well, after spending several weeks responding to flooding in the region in 2025.
Southern Oaks Church in Kerrville, which played a prominent role in relief efforts following last July’s disaster, has joined with United in Crisis and other area churches to support residents affected by the latest flooding.
The participating congregations were also preparing to assist survivors through United in Crisis’ “Crisis Relief Shepherd” program. The initiative connects trained volunteers with individuals and families to guide them through recovery while addressing emotional, spiritual and physical needs over both the short and long term.
Southern Oaks said financial contributions were urgently needed and would be used to provide gift cards, temporary housing, emergency transportation and construction materials.
At least two deaths were reported in last week’s flooding, which came just over a year after another disaster in the same region killed more than 100 people, according to Fox 4.
Heavy rainfall prompted flash flood warnings in several Hill Country counties, with authorities expressing particular concern about rapidly rising rivers and creeks.
The National Weather Service reported that a gauge on the Guadalupe River climbed 32 feet in four hours and was projected to crest near the level recorded during the July 4, 2025, flood.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said emergency crews had conducted more than 230 rescues since the flooding began. In a post on X, he said the response involved more than 2,700 personnel and 1,500 vehicles, aircraft and specialized resources, which had helped rescue more than 270 Texans.
