Nearly everyone in Kerr County, Texas, knows someone who was affected by the devastating Guadalupe River floods over the July 4 weekend. The river rose a staggering 26 feet in just 45 minutes, reaching its second-highest height on record and surpassing the 1987 flood level, according to the National Weather Service.
A memorial honors those lost (World Central Kitchen/Flickr Creative Commons)The City West Church, located between the towns of Kerrville and Ingram, became a central food distribution hub, according to NPR. The church provided meals for first responders and volunteers on-site and sent food to those in the community who suffered catastrophic losses.
Tate Damasco, athletic director and head football coach at Ingram Tom Moore High School, was one of many community members who volunteered to deliver hot meals and cold drinks to neighborhoods and relief workers along the river.
“My phone started ringing at about 4:45 Friday morning,” he told NPR. “One of our other coaches actually lives up in Hunt and called me three times. I finally answered the third time. He says, ‘You got to get up. It’s bad.’ So I got in my car and headed straight to the fire department to find out what we could do.”
When he surveyed the damage, he saw a scene of pure destruction. “Our school’s over here on the right … it’s kind of up on a hill, so we had minimal damage there,” he said. “But if you start looking down this left-hand side, like, this is our Little League complex. And if you start looking over here to the left, I mean, it’s gone.”
The food distribution and volunteers were coordinated by the Virginia-based nonprofit Mercy Chefs, but most of the volunteers were local.
“You know, when you pour into kids, and parents are big supporters of us, right now, those are the ones that are affected by all this,” Mr Damasco said. “So it’s easy. I haven’t had anybody say no. It’s, where do you want me at? How can I help?”
ABC News reported that Chloe Childress was among the more than 100 people who lost their lives in the floods. She was a camp counselor at Camp Mystic and a 2025 graduate of The Kinkaid School.
“Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic,” her family said in a statement.
While in high school, Chloe served as co-president of her school’s honor council, participated in varsity cross country, and founded a club dedicated to assisting senior citizens. She was set to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.
Jonathan Eades, the head of The Kinkaid School, said she “lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others.”
“A loyal and beloved friend to all who knew her, Chloe led with empathy,” he said. “Her honesty gave others the courage to speak up. Her resilience helped others push through. Her joy, so present in all the little things, reminded all who knew her to keep showing up with heart.”
