Home Care In Hunt, TX

HUNT, TEXAS - JULY 08: Gov. Greg Abbott arrives at a news conference on July 08, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. Gov. Abbott announced that more than 160 people are still missing after deadly floods early Friday. Last week, heavy rainfall caused severe flash flooding along the Guadalupe River in central Texas, leaving more than 100 people reported dead, including children attending Camp Mystic. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

HUNT, TEXAS — KERRVILLE, Texas - Nearly a year after devastating floods swept through the Hill Country, the community of Hunt is still rebuilding, and residents say signs of recovery are becoming easier to see.

Construction crews, volunteers, and neighbors have been working to restore what floodwaters destroyed. A year ago, homes were lost, businesses were destroyed, and debris covered much of the area. Now, parts of Hunt are described as “completely unrecognizable” because of the progress that has been made.

Johnathan Clinton said that change is the result of widespread help.

“That’s because a lot of people came in and worked really hard to try and get back to where it was,” Clinton said.

One of the most visible projects is the Hunt Store, a longtime community staple. Crews are rebuilding it with a new store and outdoor space.

“It’s going to be a nice place to come and enjoy nature,” Clinton said.

Recovery efforts are also underway at the post office, which was “wiped off the map” in the flooding. A mobile post office is now serving residents while rebuilding continues.

The recovery has extended beyond construction, with community groups working on longer-term needs such as home repairs, disaster case management, and planning for the years ahead.

Lisa Field, co-chair of the Community Allocations Committee for the Hunt Preservation Society, said the disaster has strengthened community ties.

“I think one of the silver linings of this tragedy is that it has brought our community closer together countywide,” Field said.

Field says they are planning to gather on July 4th for a picnic.

“Now we also are coming together on July 4th with a picnic,” Field said. “We’re all kicking in together to do hamburgers and just have some fellowship and a good time to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, and to come together as a community and be together on that day.”

Even with the progress, Field said, continued financial support is needed to sustain recovery programs.

“We still need money coming into this effort for recovery. Money has to go into certain programs, different programs across the board, to different organizations, so that we can keep going,” Field said.

Residents say they know rebuilding will be a long journey, but they hope the ongoing recovery efforts will help bring back a sense of normalcy.

TEXAS — Days after the July 4, 2025, flooding, it was clear the community of Hunt was hit the hardest. The Hunt Store becoming a symbol of strength for neighbors.

“It’s hard to be strong. It’s hard to be strong now…a year later,” said Kerr County resident Courtney Calhoun.

Calhoun has spent the majority of her life in the Texas Hill Country.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to knowing this happened,” Calhoun said. “Like I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the fact that we would be 30 feet underwater right now.”

She’d been inside the Hunt Store just days before the Guadalupe River overflowed.

“So, watching the news of where I just was and where my hometown is, just a complete shock,” Calhoun said. “I didn’t know how to take it.”

Calhoun got back to town as soon as possible and joined her neighbors in the cleanup and search for the missing.

“What would you do to find somebody that you could have talked to yesterday or even last night,” Calhoun asked. “Like what would you do if that person went missing?”

Just four days after flood waters receded, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott invited the media to Hunt for an update. That became Calhoun’s opportunity to speak up.

“It was God,” Calhoun said. “That the only way to say it. I was right there, I was right there and someone said the governor is here. And my first thought was I need to talk to him.”

“Governor I have a follow-up sir, I’m local,” Calhoun said last July.

For about 10 minutes she shared her concerns with Abbott. Calhoun was wondering why folks didn’t get flood alerts and pleaded for help.

“People talk about how strong Texas is, is because of people like you,” said Abbott. “People who don’t wait around for orders and instructions.”

“Let us take care of each other, but we need help,” Calhoun said, reflecting on the interaction. “And we need the resources to have help. Like not having service out here. And again, it’s a year later, and we’re back…there’s not cell phone service. We can do better.”

Twelve months later, Calhoun says she’s thankful for the support that has sparked progress in her community.

“It just doesn’t feel real, still,” Calhoun said.

With a natural disaster, she feels like nobody is to blame. But healing from this tragedy may take some time.

“To give dignity to the people that are still here, and who go through situations like this, the best thing we can do is be supportive and pray,” Calhoun said. “And just cast all judgment aside.”

HUNT, TX - After months of investigations and testimony following the deadly hill country flood disaster nearly a year ago, flood warning sirens emerged as one of the top safety recommendations.

The News 4 I-Team pressed for answers as sirens were eventually approved and installed along the Guadalupe River.

Some living there wonder why it took a tragedy for that to happen.

Two separate flood siren systems were installed in Kerr County in the past year, one was paid for by private donors, the other was paid for with funds approved by the legislature after the flood.

We were there in January when the first set of flood sirens, purchased by private donors, was installed at Camp Mystic Cypress Lake and other summer camps.

At the time, the I-Team’s Jaie Avila asked Camp Director Britt Eastland: “Do you think a system like this might have saved your dad's life and the lives of the others?”

“I do," replied Eastland, whose father, Dick Eastland, died attempting to rescue young campers during the flood.

Then in May, Kerr County and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority set up six sirens near the camps.

Those sirens were the result of flood preparedness legislation that set aside $50 million state tax dollars for flood siren systems in Texas counties prone to flash flooding.

Hunt resident Maria Grieser says she wishes there had been sirens operating near Camp Mystic last July 4th.

“I think maybe if they had some kind of system there those little girls wouldn't have washed away," Grieser said.

Grieser lives across the highway from Camp La Junta and had to rescue her nephew who was stuck in a tree on her property.

While she thinks sirens will warn campers, Grieser says she doubts nearby homeowners will be able to hear them.

“It was thundering really hard that night so I’m not sure I would have heard it. But I’ve heard them do their test system, and I can hear them talking, but over the thunder I don't think I would have heard it," Grieser said.

Kerrville resident Ryan Logue, who spends a lot of time diving and waterskiing on the river, says he's hopeful the sirens will be effective.

“Until the next situation there's no way to say, but yes, I do believe this is a step in the correct direction," said Logue.

The river authority says their sirens will eventually go off automatically when new river gages detect heavy, fast moving flood waters upstream, giving people precious time to get to high ground.

But for now, their system still relies on human decision makers to set them off.

“There's only six sirens right now but they're envisioning them all up and down the river within Kerr County," said Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring.

As we previously reported, Kerr County Commissioners discussed the need for sirens as far back as 2016, but could not secure funding for them.

Now residents like Grieser prepare to honor neighbors and children who may have paid the price for that failure.

“I don't want it to go by silently, you know i want to remember everybody," Grieser said.

Governor Greg Abbott's office told the News 4 I-Team Kerr County is one of 30 Texas counties that have been given a million dollars to install the flood siren systems, and the state says it is installing those systems on a highly accelerated timeline.