Kerrville reels from deadly floods as search continues and questions mount
Days after devastating floods swept through the Texas Hill Country, the community of Kerrville is still grappling with the damage, loss, and a growing demand for answers.
(CNN)- Days after devastating floods swept through the Texas Hill Country, the community of Kerrville is still grappling with the damage, loss, and a growing demand for answers.
Standing well off the banks of the Guadalupe River, the devastation from Friday’s historic flood is still clearly visible. Officials have confirmed at least 120 people are dead, with many more still missing. As search teams comb through piles of debris, families continue to wait — some for news, others for closure.
“We have large debris piles,” said Sgt. Jonathan Lamb with the Kerrville Police Department. “And we ask them not to use heavy equipment to take down those debris piles until they’ve been checked by a search party because it’s possible there are victims in that debris pile.”
The scale of the disaster is unlike anything the region has seen. “It’s going to be a slow, methodical process that’s going to take us days, if not weeks, to really provide the answers that everyone’s looking for,” said Capt. Max McQuarrie with the Virginia Beach Water Rescue Team, who is assisting with recovery operations.
But beyond the physical recovery, serious concerns are being raised about how the emergency response was handled. At the center of the controversy: a delayed CodeRED alert — a mass notification system designed to warn residents of impending danger. According to audio obtained by CNN affiliate KSAT, a firefighter requested the emergency alert early Friday, but Kerr County officials did not send the message until nearly six hours later.
“I believe those questions need to be answered to the family of the missed loved ones, to the public,” said Sheriff Larry Leitha. “Please understand that we’re not running. We’re not going to hide from anything that’s going to be checked into.”
As investigations into the response continue, stories of heroism have emerged from within the community. Drew Yancey, co-owner of The Guadalupe Keys RV Resort, described the frantic moments before the flood hit: “We got everybody out. We knocked on everybody’s door and that took us about 10 minutes… then we started hooking up the tractor to the trailers, and we grabbed one and the wall just came.” President Donald Trump is expected to visit Kerrville on Friday to tour the damage and meet with local and state officials. His visit comes as residents continue to rebuild — and wait for clarity about what went wrong in the critical hours before the floodwaters arrived.
