BY COMMUNITY IMPACT STAFF
Digging deeper
What they’re saying
As the counties try to sort through the damage, questions still remain about how the disaster reached the proportions it did, and why the storm caught so many by surprise. Williamson County judge Steve Snell said the county sent out over 1,500 notifications alerting citizens to possible dangerous weather conditions on the night of July 4. Snell said the county has a warning system in place through the WarnCentral- Texas platform, but less than 8% of residents are signed up to receive notifications. Many residents from neighborhoods such as those along Nameless Road took to social media to share concerns that there was not enough support or resources available following the flooding. Many of the impacted neighborhoods are outside of Leander and Liberty Hill’s city limits—despite having the city name in their address—and rely on county response. While the geographic boundaries
have made it difficult, county officials say residents should input their ZIP codes into the Texas Association of Counties website to find out what jurisdiction their home falls into so they can find access to resources. On July 8, Abbott said making sure Texas communities are better prepared for disasters like the July 4 floods was “at the top of the agenda” for state lawmakers. “We’re going to address every aspect of this storm to make sure we’re going to have in place the systems that are needed to prevent deadly flooding events in the future,” he said. When asked who was to blame for the lives lost during the flooding, Abbott said assigning blame was “the word choice of losers.” “The way winners talk is not to point fin- gers. ... They talk about solutions. What Texas is all about is solutions,” Abbott said.
Frank and Joan Surko, who live in the Rio Ancho neighborhood of Liberty Hill, were awoken by floodwaters at 3 a.m. July 5. The waters rose to about 5 feet inside their house, damaging or destroying most of the family’s possessions, including their cars. More than 20 volunteers were working in the Surko’s neighborhood by July 7, helping to repair damaged homes. “I can’t believe how much help we’ve had,” Joan said.
“Everything’s gone. But the house is still here. It can be remodeled, and we’ll move back in and go on.” FRANK SURKO, RIO ANCHO RESIDENT
Get involved
How to help
H-E-B and Whataburger sent groceries and supplies to flood-affected communities. The Central Texas Community Fund and Austin Disaster Relief Network have been collecting donations to help cover costs for uninsured families, and Austin Pets Alive has been coordinating efforts to rescue and care for displaced pets.
Fidencio Leal drove to Leander to volunteer, even though he lives an hour away in Kingsland. He set up a grill in the parking lot at Round Mountain Church and gave out hot dogs, hamburgers and bottled water. “I didn’t want to just sit on my couch and do nothing,” Leal said. “With all the people that have gotten hurt, I just wanted to do my part.” Leal wasn’t the only one who felt compelled to help. Volunteers, private companies and nonprofits mobilized to get supplies, food and financial help to the area.
These local organizations are in need of the following support: • Central Texas Community Fund: cash donations • Austin Pets Alive: cash, gift cards, pet food, toys and animal carriers • Austin Disaster Relief Network: financial or in- kind donations and gift cards
SOURCES: CENTRAL TEXAS COMMUNITY FUND, AUSTIN PETS ALIVE, AUSTIN DISASTER RELIEF NETWORK/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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