A flood response volunteer described the emotional and physical toll of searching for victims after catastrophic flooding in central Texas. With over 160 people still missing, Guyer said the work is grueling and often feels hopeless.
“For hours you’ll dig through piles of silt, mud, debris, and rock, usually finding nothing,” Guyer told CNN. “Then you hear someone else found bodies in that very spot, and you think: if only I had dug more, if only we had dogs, more manpower, more tools.”
Guyer, working with just a shovel and “our sense of smell,” called the conditions “miserable.” Thick mud and endless debris make each search excruciatingly slow.
Despite the despair, he found strength in the camaraderie among volunteers. “Through the miserable feeling, I was still able to laugh and smile with the guys I worked with. That’s what keeps me going.”
Although he hasn’t located any victims yet, he found a child-sized red hat that read “In my mystic era”—discovered 28 miles from Camp Mystic, a flood-hit summer camp.
12-Year-Old Camper Recalls Frightening Escape from Rising Waters
A young camper at Camp Mystic shared a chilling account of the night floods swept through on July 4. Speaking anonymously to CNN, the 12-year-old said counselors woke them up and ordered an immediate evacuation.
“The water was already ankle-deep,” she recalled. Camp leaders guided the girls to the recreation hall around 3 a.m., where they took shelter on the second floor with only flashlights in hand.
“Everyone was scared because the water started coming in really fast,” she said. The group prayed, sang, and eventually slept as the rain continued through the night.
It wasn’t until a morning roll call that they realized some girls were missing.
The campers were later moved to the Cypress Lake dining hall, where they waited five hours before a helicopter transported them to a reunification center.
“I kept thinking my cabin was probably fully underwater,” the camper said. “Like, this stuff was just gone.”
Trump Visits Flood Zone as FEMA Faces Scrutiny
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited flood-struck Kerrville, Texas, on Friday. At a roundtable briefing, Trump praised first responders and offered condolences for the 120+ confirmed deaths.
However, he faced criticism after dodging a reporter’s question about delays in issuing flood alerts. His brief rebuke went viral online.
Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that more counties have now been added to the federal disaster list. Texans in those areas can apply for grants to help with damage recovery.
Meanwhile, the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has raised over $30 million in donations. Emotional support hotlines are also being launched for survivors.
FEMA, however, is under fire. Critics allege the agency’s slow response was worsened by internal red tape and cost-cutting policies. Three House Democrats have now demanded answers from FEMA and Homeland Security.
With more rain forecast over the weekend, the threat of additional flooding still looms across Texas and Oklahoma.
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