07/17/2025
Thank you, Mr. Herring.
ONE KERRVILLE — MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER
Mayor Joe Herring, Jr.
We are grieving. We are shaken. But we are not broken.
In the days since the flood, I’ve spoken with so many of you — in grocery store aisles, walking downtown, and online. The questions come quietly, sometimes tearfully: How did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Why weren’t we warned sooner?
These are hard questions, asked from the heart. And they deserve honest, compassionate answers.
The emergency alert systems that serve Kerrville — including CodeRED and IPAWS — are part of a broader regional framework. While the City of Kerrville doesn’t operate these tools directly, we consider them essential to the safety of every resident.
That’s why we’re working closely with our partners across the region to take a hard look at how alerts were delivered during the flood — and how we can improve communication moving forward. No one is interested in pointing fingers. Everyone is interested in doing better — together.
The same goes for every other piece of this response. In the days since the storm, I’ve seen our entire community rise to meet the challenge — side by side. City crews, county officials, first responders, churches, nonprofits, neighbors. You’ve shown up in boots and gloves — and you’ve shown up with food, comfort, grit, and grace. You’ve reminded me, again, why Kerrville is the best kind of hometown.
When Kerrville asked for help, help came. The State of Texas has been assisting since the early morning of July 4. The federal government has also been here from the beginning — with Coast Guard helicopters flying rescue missions during the storm, saving people trapped by floodwaters. Since then, both state and federal agencies have added personnel and equipment to support Kerrville and Kerr County.
I am deeply grateful for their help. All of the agencies — city, county, state, and federal — are working together as One Team.
Recovery is underway. Resources for victims — and ways you can help our community — are available at kerrtogether.com, including FEMA support, housing aid, and emotional care. If you’re feeling overwhelmed — or know someone who is — please call the Texas Flooding Emotional Support Line at 833-812-2480. Additionally, our local Hill Country MHDD has opened a “Hill Country Emotional Support” counseling space at 819 Water Street in downtown Kerrville. Help is there. You’re not alone.
Please pray for our community. I'd ask you to pray for those who mourn, those who wait for word about their missing loved ones, and for those who help, the men and women working under incredibly difficult conditions.
We’ll keep working — repairing, rebuilding, and planning ahead. We’ll have updates soon on infrastructure repairs, long-term recovery strategies, and how we’re strengthening our community’s ability to respond to future emergencies.
In every conversation I’ve had lately, one theme keeps rising: we’re in this together. And it’s true. The storm may have tested us, but it didn’t divide us. If anything, it pulled us closer together.
Let’s keep walking forward — as one community. One Kerrville.
— Joe
