BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — A devastating flooding swept through Kerrville, leaving behind destruction and heartbreak for neighbors in Texas Hill Country. For Bryan resident Devon Oechsle, this tragedy hits especially close to home.
"I grew up in Kerrville from the ages of like 10 to 18, and then I moved here to go to A&M in 2007, but my family still lives there," Oechsle said.
Her best friend, Cierra, still lives in Kerrville and has been sending updates as the situation unfolds.
"She's a 2 minute walk from one of the big RV parks that got washed away," Oechsle said.
Oechsle received early news of the disaster before it made headlines.
"I woke up Saturday morning before the news really hit widespread to her text saying like oh my gosh, like there's missing campers and there's all this flooding and like no one told us it was, you know, nothing we didn't know what was happening," Oechsle said.
The scale of this flood is unlike anything Oechsle has ever seen in the area.
"When she first said it was flooding, I'm like, oh, another flood like this sucks, but then more stories were coming out and as the day progressed, I was hearing just like how widespread it was, how that the wave crest peaked so quickly and that's not the floods that we're used to," Oechsle said.
15 ABC asked Oechsle about the emotional and physical recovery ahead for Kerrville residents.
"I mean, I don't know that I can even put myself in their shoes in that way right now," Oechsle said.
She hopes people will continue to support the community long after the headlines fade.
"I just pray that people don't forget about this really quick that they continue to. At at the very least send prayers for the months to come, but also not forget that if you have a free weekend, go and help clean up. Go offer your hands and your help the way that you can," Oechsle said.
Oechsle is urging neighbors across Texas to come together and support the families still reeling from this disaster.
The devastating floods in central Texas have left families and communities in urgent need of support. Scripps News and the Scripps Howard Fund are partnering to provide critical relief to those impacted. Every dollar donated here will go directly to helping victims recover.
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