CHINA SPRING, Texas (KXXV) — One longtime first responder who spent 30 years answering calls said being called to Kerrville is a serious and necessary task.
- Hundreds of first responders across Central Texas were called to Kerrville and the surrounding areas.
- Over 100 people are dead due to the flooding in Kerrville, and over 160 are still missing.
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“It’s almost 300 families that are going to be impacted in some way," Joel Yonkman, an IMAT personnel for ERGSS, said.
Joel Yonkman —a longtime emergency first responder — said families impacted by the flooding in Kerrville have a long road to recovery.
“Communities are doing all that they can along with the state of Texas to try to find those folks and identify where these people are," said Yonkman.
Within the past few days, we’ve seen first responders around the state answer the call to help save lives during catastrophic flooding. Yonkman said being in the field is a day-by-day process.
“Every day is going to be a little bit different as the water rises and recedes as rain continues every day, they’re going to look at what they have to do for that particular day and how they’re going to actually go out and really search waters," said Yonkman.
With more than 100 people dead and many still missing, Yonkman said responding to scenes like the flood in Kerrville is heartbreaking.
“It’s heart-wrenching dealing with the families. There are no words to describe the pain and agony that these families are feeling," Yonkman said.
And when it comes to days worth of a continued search and possibly of victims being alive—
“The reality is that’s probably not going to happen. We hope that they do, but it’s just a matter of them working forward. At some point, the hard decision will have to be made because you can only do so much for so long," Yonkman said.
