Hundreds of people have gathered in Kerrville today as state lawmakers host a legislative hearing in the Hill Country town hardest hit by the July 4 floods.
Lawmakers are expecting to hear testimony from residents and local officials about the state and local response to the flooding in Central Texas that killed at least 135 people. Gov. Greg Abbott has asked lawmakers to introduce legislation during the current special session to address concerns raised by the floods, including how residents were warned about the rising Guadalupe River and how quickly they received aid.
Mike Richards arrived at the hearing 30 minutes early to make sure he was able to testify. He told The Texas Newsroom that after the flood he found 10 bodies on land he owns in Center Point, an unincorporated area in Kerr County.
"I didn't get no help from the state or the government," he said. "FEMA's a joke and it needs to be abolished. The state is broken."
A former police officer, Richards said he's still receiving calls from family members and volunteers who are in tears over the devastation.
Local officials told lawmakers harrowing stories of dispatchers receiving calls from people needing rescues from roofs as the floodwaters rose more than expected.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said deputies trying to reach survivors encountered swamped crossings and lost their vehicles to the rising water. He said one deputy reported hearing children screaming from the river and that when a rescue boat was en route to arrive in 10 minutes, a deputy reported, "the kids don't have 10 minutes."
This story will be updated throughout the day as the hearing progresses. Larry Kaplow and Ana Campbell contributed to this reporting.
Copyright 2025 Texas Public Radio
