AUSTIN (KXAN) — Volunteers gathered at an RV park east of Georgetown Thursday to clear debris and help residents who lost everything in flooding that was part of the same storm system that devastated Central Texas over the July 4 weekend.
The Shady River RV Resort sits along the river west of the small town of Jonah. Residents who had lived there for years watched floodwaters destroy their homes and scatter belongings across the property.
Jordan Anderson lived at the resort with his family for five years. The area had experienced minor flooding before, but nothing prepared him for what happened this week.
“I thought it might reach my floor. I didn’t think it would pick it up and carry it away,” Anderson said.
Anderson now struggles to explain the situation to his 6-year-old and 4-year-old children who do not understand why they can not go home. The flooding left homes in ruins, with shredded metal wrapped around trees and debris scattered throughout the property.
Shauna Thayer lives down the street from the RV park and arrived Saturday morning to help with rescues. She now leads the volunteer effort to clear debris and collect supplies for displaced families.
“It’s really easy for this to look like statistics to people who weren’t in the area. I was here when they were floating. Their pets were floating. Their homes were washing away,” Thayer said.
Thayer described how some residents made difficult choices during the disaster.
“We have people here lost their homes because they decided in the moment to let their home wash away because they thought someone of lesser means need their RV pulled out more,” she said.
Sam Baker drove from Round Rock to volunteer at the cleanup effort.
“People, when they see little things like this, they begin to understand. By go lend a hand,” Baker said.
Down the road in Jonah, Tracy Crow and other volunteers distributed donations to Shady River residents at the community center. The supplies include clothes, food and diapers for families in need.
Crow said the center needs additional supplies, particularly non-perishable foods, fruits, vegetables and manual can openers to help residents who are staying in the area.
Despite the devastation, Anderson said the community support has provided comfort to his family. His children are excited by the donations but still cry at night when they realize they can not go home.
The flooding at Shady River was part of the broader Central Texas disaster that killed at least 120 people across multiple counties, with 166 people still missing — 161 from Kerr County alone. The same storm system brought destructive flooding to communities throughout the Hill Country region.