Last spring, Steven and I wound our way through the Texas Hill Country, chasing Fredericksburg wineries, peach-perfumed breezes and sunsets while visiting our son, Joey, in San Antonio.
The chalk-white limestone bluffs, the hush of cypress canopies, the kindness of every stranger—those memories live in my bones. Today, those same hills are slick with heartbreak.
Over the July 4 holiday, torrential rains swelled the Guadalupe in minutes, washing away cabins at Camp Mystic and claiming more than a hundred lives across Kerr County alone, with many still missing.
What happened—no sugar-coating
Rainfall: Up to 20 inches in 36 hours.
Fatalities: 109 confirmed; 25+ still unaccounted for.
Epicenter: Kerr County, including beloved youth camps along the river
This wasn’t “just another Texas flash flood.” It was the deadliest Hill Country deluge in living memory, a collision of extreme weather and fragile infrastructure. Families are gutting homes. Search teams are still combing cedar thickets for the missing. Grief and mud mingle on every porch.
I am also a HUGE fan of The Scout Guide!
How we can show up—12 concrete moves
Give fast through the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund thescoutguide.com
Back Southern Oaks Church’s River Relief Fund to rebuild lost livelihoods thescoutguide.com
Double your dollars: USAA will match gifts to Team Rubicon’s veteran-led crews thescoutguide.com
Feed first responders via World Central Kitchen, Operation BBQ Relief, or Mercy Chefs thescoutguide.com
Donate cleaning supplies or volunteer as a delivery driver with Kerrville Salvation Army (call 830-465-4797) thescoutguide.com
Fuel swift-water rescues—fund TEXSAR’s boats & rope gear thescoutguide.com
Support Convoy of Hope for bulk relief shipments thescoutguide.com
Keep pets with their people: Kerrville Pets Alive! & Austin Pets Alive! need food, crates, fosters thescoutguide.com
Stand with Camp Mystic families: verified GoFundMe campaigns for trauma therapy & rebuilding thescoutguide.com
Shop with heart: Rooted Femme, Monogram Lady, B. Moore Organized, Metaphoric, and Anna Kraft Fine Art are funneling proceeds to relief (details in links) thescoutguide.com
Gift cards today, tourism tomorrow: Pre-buy Hill Country lodging, wine-tastings, and art classes to inject cash while businesses are closed.
Verify before you Venmo: Stick to 501(c)(3)s and official funds; scams sprout like mold after a flood thescoutguide.com
The Bigger Why
Disaster relief isn’t just sandbags and soup lines; it’s trauma counseling for the camper who watched her bunk float away, wage-replacement for the barista whose espresso machine drowned, and hope that this valley—soaked in stories and song—will sing again.
Open a tab. Pick one line in the table. Act within five minutes. Then forward this post to three friends who love Texas sunshine or summer camp nostalgia. Tag your gift #HillCountryHearts so survivors can see strangers standing with them.
My Texas Hill Country visit left me with beautiful memories but this horrific event taught me that rivers can both cradle and cut. Today, they’ve carved a scar—but scars, like river stones, smooth under many hands.
Let’s become that gentle, relentless current of help.
I know we are all heartbroken by the catastrophic tragedy and the widespread loss caused by the flooding in the Texas Hill Country, a region very near and dear to our hearts and one brimming with incredible communities rallying together right now.
Amid heartache and pain, it’s easy to feel helpless, especially from afar. But several organizations are already stepping up to lead critical rescue, recovery, and rebuilding efforts. If you’re in a position to give, here are trusted and meaningful ways your donation can directly support those most affected.
