Floods test Texas’ resolve
May 28 San Antonio Express- News
A community can be properly judged by how it conducts itself in the midst of normalcy. But how it — and a state — reacts when tragedy strikes is a test as well.
From initial reports following the devastation wrought by deadly and damaging flooding, Wimberley and other communities similarly struck can be said to be exemplary.
Gov. Greg Abbott was quite correct in declaring disaster for Hays and 36 other counties following the flooding. President Barack Obama followed with a national declaration. The loss of life and the devastation to property is a stunning reminder of the power of Mother Nature. And how Wimberley and other county residents have pulled together to help those most affected is a testament to human nature at its best.
On Thursday of last week, people were still missing, among them members of three vacationing families from Corpus Christi. Their vacation home was swept away and slammed into a bridge.
The Blanco River, generally the scene of good summer and spring recreation, rose nearly 44 feet before data measurements stopped, far above its flood stage of 13 feet. The former record was 33 feet set in 1926.
People reportedly floated on mattresses as water rose in their bedrooms. Roughly 70 homes were washed away in Wimberley, about 1,400 battered in Hays County total, according to official estimates.
Emergency personnel — paid and volunteer — immediately gathered to offer help and counseling. Among them were Christy and Tad Degenhart, who gave out hot dogs, chips and water in the parking lot of their hardware store to less fortunate neighbors. And from other reports, the sense of community was pronounced in the two hardest- hit Texas communities, Wimberley and San Marcos.
As the Express- News headline proclaimed last Thursday, the agony is far from over. Following the grim search efforts, the hard- hit areas will face private and public rebuilding jobs that can’t be done overnight. Visiting Wimberley on Wednesday last week, Sen. Ted Cruz called the destruction “unimaginable.”
Unfortunately, the weather pattern that might spell an end to Texas’ drought might also mean the need for more vigilance. We echo Gov. Abbott’s call that people take care for their own safety. More than 20 inches of rain has fallen this month. And from reports, Houston was particularly hard hit, with flooding closing a portion of Interstate 10 and other parts of the city.
The initial signs are good — with authorities using reverse 911 calls to warn of the rising river. But there will be a time soon when it is proper to more accurately judge whether preparedness was keen enough and whether the local, state and federal response was robust enough. It is this way after every disaster. For the moment, however, we join others in offering our sympathies for the loss of life and injuries incurred to people and property.
And in the days ahead, the state and federal governments must do their utmost to prepare for what’s coming and in helping communities repair the damage so far to infrastructure and to their homes and livelihoods. Rebuilding will be essential and merits priority status from government officials at all levels. The tragedy must not be compounded by inadequate concentration on the rebuilding process.
And we’re confident that neighbors will continue to do their best to care for neighbors even after the headlines are old. That’s the Texas way.