Kerrville locals call July 4 floods 'unfathomable' after decades of smaller floods

KERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) – As the number of those dead or still missing continues to rise, locals in the Texas town of Kerrville are picking up the pieces.

“We get flood warnings, which we get all the time, it’s like 'oh I wonder if the river is going to come up'  but you don't panic because you ain't scared,” said Mark Armstrong, owner of The Lakehouse restaurant.

On Friday, July 4, he and his wife arrived at the restaurant to a surprise. While they knew the flood was bad, they had seen so many before they didn’t worry. Then, around 7 a.m., they pulled up the restaurant they’ve owned for nearly 30 years to find water flooding all the way to the street.

The Lakehouse overlooks the Guadalupe River. A steep slope had protected the restaurant from past floods. Armstrong said the closest a flood had ever gotten before was 100 yards down the slope.

On July 4, the water filled the parking lot and ran out onto the street. Water got inside the restaurant by slipping beneath the doors. Armstrong described what he saw as "unfathomable."

Security camera footage captured the water that surrounded the building. The dumpster and recycling bin picked up and moved. Cars floated down the stream, some with their headlights still on.

“We were just looking at a sight that we could never see. Just not possible,” Armstrong said.

The restaurant had less damage than other places. It was able to reopen a couple days later and help feed the needy and those who came to help.

Like Trace Slama, who traveled 22 hours straight from North Carolina. A former Austin resident, Slama is still cleaning up his home in North Carolina after it was devastated by Hurricane Helene in 2024. Watching the tragedy in Texas on TV drove his need to help.

"Seems they're a little heavy on volunteers in town, which is a good problem to have," Salma said. He’s gone off on his own to walk the shores of the Guadalupe, checking debris that may have been missed.

Further upstream, a crew from Dripping Springs uses heavy machinery and chainsaws to clear debris. Normally a group that makes artificial ponds for developments, the crew said they arrived and were told where to clear.

Officials asked them to skip one area where cadaver dogs needed to search and to report any unusual smells. Bodies might still be in the area where they were clearing.

"Time is of the essence. There are families that need closure. Everyone could use a hand right now and a prayer," Salma said.