As with all crises and big events, as time passes, the intensity of the event and the immediate needs begins to shift.
At Gov. Abbott's press conference yesterday, he shared that there were still 161 souls unaccounted for. With more than 110 dead and so many more missing, this crisis has grown to be one of the greatest natural calamities in the State of Texas. Additionally, unlike other disasters that are confined to one area, this one spans many, many miles (the entire Guadalupe River runs some 250 miles)!! The destruction as well runs many, many miles, and bodies have been recovered closer to Leander, which is perhaps 130 miles or so from Hunt. This gives you the idea of the expanse of the search and recovery.
Additionally, the worse point of impact in Hunt, TX is a very small town and the majority of people affected were campers attending camp along the Guadalupe and many vacationers who were there for the July 4th weekend. The vast majority of all these people are no longer there.
The primary focus of ALL agencies is the Search and Recovery in order to bring closure to the families. This is a herculean task to search so many miles of river bed, which is strewn with debris, many large trees, vehicles, and more. Each tree must be cut, moved and then the search crews and cadaver dogs can go in to check for bodies. There are thousands of people, dogs, heavy equipment deployed all around.
Chabad of Boerne together with our partners has been focused on making sure the First Responders and these crews have what they need (proper protection, work related tools and gears, and light machinery). We also continue to respond to any requests for food, medicine, food, clothing, etc. In the last 24 hours we have: sent money via Venmo to people in need, purchased chainsaws for crews, purchased work equipment, helped send crews to understaffed areas, contributed to local area foundations Hill Country Area Foundation, Comfort Area Foundation, Rudkin Productions and others, directly supporting the needs of those impacted.
Thank you to everyone for your continued love and support.