Monday marks one month since Texas’ Hill Country was devastated by flash floods that killed at least 135 people and affected thousands more across multiple counties.
Here is a look at how things stand one month since the devastating tragedy, as many people await financial support from the government and volunteers are reuniting people with missing items.
Flood survivors waiting on federal financial support
For so many survivors who lost their homes in the flood, it remains unclear how much financial support they’ll receive from FEMA and when that support will come.
Madison Sloan, the director of the Disaster Recovery and Fair Housing Project at Texas Appleseed, told CNN that the average FEMA home repair payment for the flood disaster is around $8,000. But this number can be higher or lower depending on the loss.
“FEMA assistance is not intended to fully repair the home, it’s intended to repair it so the home is safe to live in,” Sloan said, per CNN. “FEMA assistance can be hard to access and FEMA routinely sends denial letters. If you’ve just been through a disaster and you get a denial letter, that’s a huge burden.”
FEMA assistance is capped at $43,600, but it is rare for people to receive the full amount.
“The system is not set up as a safety net,” Sloan added. “It’s set up to fill gaps in insurance and for people who can’t afford or don’t have certain kinds of insurance, there is not much there for them, besides private donations.”
According to CNN, some of the people who lost their homes in the flood don’t have flood insurance because it can be “nearly impossible to afford.”
FEMA has told people that the state of Texas and the U.S. Small Business Administration may be able to help people with serious disaster-related needs, disaster loans, basic home repair costs, temporary lodging and personal property loss.
“The state and county are helping us none,” flood survivor Bud Bolton in Hunt, Texas, told CNN. “I know people that lost their homes and sleeping in their cars still because they are not getting any of the funding. We don’t need toilet paper, bottled water, and a few necessities and gift cards. We need financial help and are not getting it.”
Volunteers help Texans find personal items lost in the flood
After the flood swept away people’s homes, vehicles and belongings, a Facebook group is working to connect people with their personal possessions found along the Guadalupe River, per USA Today.
These items include jewelry, children’s toys, dolls, key chains and blankets. Some of them were found miles from home after being carried by the fast-moving waters.
While these possessions are just things, they are also pieces of people’s lives, including family heirlooms that carry generations of memories, according to USA Today.
The Facebook group “Found on the Guadalupe River” was started by Dondi Volgt Persyn and has over 47,000 members. Persyn is from Boerne, Texas, and after hearing about the flood, immediately volunteered to help with recovery along the river.
As she combed through debris along the river she picked up people’s possessions and trash. After collecting many items that she knew belonged to people, she created the Facebook group to help reunite flood survivors with their things.
Persyn runs the group with her longtime friend DeAnna Kaye Lindsay, according to USA Today. The thousands of members in the group share photos and information about items found during cleanup and recovery allowing many people to be reunited with missing things.
How people can donate to the Texas flood relief
There are a number of different organizations that are working to provide support and relief to those affected by the July 4 flood. Here’s a look at some ways people can donate to help support flood survivors, according to CBS News.
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Kerr County Flood Relief Fund: This fund will go directly to vetted organizations providing rescue, relief and recovery efforts as well as flood assistance.
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Southern Oaks Church: This church located in Kerrville is accepting donations at the church and online as well.
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Texans on Mission: Based in North Texas, Texans on Mission is looking for donations to support their teams working to assist those affected by the flood.
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Walmart and Sam’s Club: The two national chains are working together to match up to $250,000 in customer donations for flood victims.
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Direct Relief: This organization is providing essential medications and supplies to central Texas communities impacted by the flooding.
