Comfort residents rally to support those who lost homes in flood

COMFORT, Texas - After the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country on Friday, some of those who survived the storm are now picking up the pieces after losing property and even homes.

Comfort residents lose homes

Carolyn Road in Comfort backs up to the Guadalupe River. As the deadly floodwaters made their way downstream on the Fourth of July, it rushed and overtook nearby homes. All that’s left are piles of debris on every corner of the street. 

However, people aren’t wallowing over what’s lost. They’re rolling up their sleeves and finding a way forward. 

Kerrville, Hunt, and Ingram were some of the hardest-hit areas in the July Fourth historic flooding. And farther downstream, people in Comfort also experienced the power of the Guadalupe River.

Carolyn Road residents share support

Herman Haas knew a storm was coming, and when he saw the amount of water headed his way, he and his girlfriend got dressed and woke up their neighbors, Paul Welch and Elizabeth Hastings.  

What they're saying:

"He said it’s 29 feet in Kerrville. When he told me that, I knew exactly what was coming: a wall of water," Welch said.

All four got out safely before their riverbank homes filled with water. 

Haas came back to find a layer of mud on the floors, the furniture saturated, and cherished belongings destroyed.  

But not all hope is gone. Friends, family, and strangers are here to help haas pick up the pieces.

This act of kindness is what’s keeping these Carolyn Road neighbors going. 

"Thanks to them, I think we’ll be alright," Hastings said. "We always say it’s comforting in Comfort." 

Local perspective:

As FOX 4 spent the day in Comfort, many people showed up, some bringing equipment, some food and water, supplies, a hug, and seemingly all other types of support.  

It’s been said quite a bit over the last few days: Kerrville strong, Hunt strong, Comfort strong. To these neighbors that means community, and it means showing up to help your neighbors.  

And that’s exactly what happened in Comfort today.  

110 dead in Central Texas flooding

The backstory:

As of Tuesday, the official death toll for the Fourth of July flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country is 110, with 161 people still missing across the state. 

Most of the deaths happened in Kerr County, where at least 87 people have died, including 30 children, many of whom were attending Camp Mystic near the Guadalupe River. At least five campers and a counselor from Camp Mystic are still missing.

Officials say crews have rescued more than 850 people since Friday.

How to help flood victims

What you can do:

Since the search and rescue efforts began in Kerr County and surrounding areas, people across the nation have been looking for ways to support responders and survivors. Here are a few ways you can help.

The main Kerr County relief fund was launched by the local nonprofit Community Foundation to help support local response, relief and recovery efforts. Many businesses and organizations who have pledged donations for flood relief are donating directly to this fund. All donations will go right to the organizations helping with the emergency.

Those looking to donate can click here.

The website GoFundMe is also looking to help those in need of assistance. The site has several verified fundraisers from people in need of assistance.

You can see the list here.

To see the full running list of nonprofits and other organizations working towards flood relief, you can visit the FOX story at this link.

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