07/31/2025
I was visiting family in the Hill Country of TX for the 4th of July weekend when I had the unfortunate opportunity to witness the devastation there firsthand. I heard stories from folks who said they barely made it out alive, saw the overturned cars and washed out bridges, and white knuckled my way over a few flooded roads myself as the rains kept coming and didn’t stop. My cousin scoured the river banks afterward as part of an equine rescue team, she found the bodies of two little girls. Lives ended and were upended in a matter of minutes.
Yes, it all happened so fast and during the worst possible time under the cover of darkness, and yes there are natural disasters, acts of God, that cannot be accounted for. But there are also ways to prevent, prepare for, and mitigate flood devastation. Being in the Hill Country near the Guadalupe River during that weekend made me all the more resolved to do all I can to protect those along the Lower Elkhorn from damage to person and property.
I’m so grateful for the forethought and planning that went into the Willow Creek reservoir and the Norfolk flood control levee many decades ago that protected our town in the 2019 floods that could have been exponentially worse. But there are communities upstream like Battle Creek that still do not have the flood protection they need. And as conversations continue about the best ways and means by which to provide this protection, I want to be clear, it’s not about building a recreational dam or lakeshore developments, it’s not about prioritizing townfolks over farmers, it’s about saving lives. That’s all it’s ever been about - fulfilling our mission as an NRD to protect lives, property, and futures. There may be differing opinions on how to go about doing that, be it one dam or three, a levee or retention cell, but as elected officials we are a fiduciary, meaning we have an ethical duty to the taxpayers to choose the most financially sensible solution.
If you have feedback please share it, I’d love to know how this flood control issue affects you. Also, consider attending the open house tonight from 5:30-7:30 at the Battle Creek High School as we present the proposed options. I encourage you to come and listen, learn, and keep in mind that our utmost priority is ensuring that when the floods come again, and they will, that our community and kids are safe.
Photos by the Kerrville Daily Times
