Volunteers from across Texas are aiding flood recovery efforts in Ingram, clearing wreckage and searching for missing persons.
INGRAM, Texas — In the days following catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe River, a mobile mechanic from Bandera and a crew of volunteers from across Texas are helping clear the wreckage left behind, one pile at a time.
Daniel Beedle, owner of Centerfire Services, arrived in Ingram just hours after the floodwaters receded, bringing with him heavy equipment, friends, and a mission to help his neighbors.
“We’re like five days in on cleanup from the floods out here in Ingram,” Beedle said. “We had probably 20 pieces of equipment and, and 40 people.”
Beedle and his team used skid steers, excavators, and even a six-wheel army truck to build low-water crossings and gain access to areas of land that had been completely cut off by the flood. They weren’t just clearing mud and debris, they were carefully combing through wreckage, knowing lives had been lost and some people were still unaccounted for.
“Every pile… every vehicle has to be treated differently,” said Joe Rigelsky, founder of Upstream International and pastor at Pipe Creek Church. “To keep the dignity of humanity, you've got to remember there are people watching this who know their kids are missing.”
Rigelsky has responded to disasters for nearly two decades, but this one hit close to home. Volunteers like him and Beedle say the work may be messy and exhausting, but it’s necessary.
“This is our community. This is our neighbors. So it’s our job,” Beedle said.
Local businesses also stepped up in a big way. Companies like Koviak Built, Reddy Pros, Coyote Dirt Works, Van Delden Wastewater Systems, Singer Services, Bad Company Excavation, Divine Shine and many others donated equipment, manpower and time to support the recovery effort.
Among the volunteers is Clifton Dugosh, who’s been assisting cadaver dog teams during the search for missing persons. “We just want to help the families get a bit of closure, if we can,” he said.
Cadaver dogs, like Rocket from Las Cruces, New Mexico, have helped pinpoint specific areas for closer inspection. They're based in El Paso, Texas and came down to South central Texas to help out crews. But the heavy lifting, physically and emotionally, is being carried by the dozens of volunteers on the ground.
“You find common ground in suffering,” said Rigelsky. “You wake up eager to go help find people—or at least bring closure.”
Officials and volunteers are asking anyone who wants to help to check in with local coordinators first. Supplies, manpower and search efforts need to be carefully managed to avoid duplicating efforts and to ensure resources go where they’re needed most.
Despite the chaos, one thing is clear: Texans continue to show up for one another when it matters most.