Written by Hsiulien Chu
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
On August 2, 2025, Tzu Chi USA Southern Region Deputy Executive Directors Roger Lin and Julienne Chi – together with a team of Tzu Chi volunteers – seized the opportunity to visit areas worst hit by severe flooding in Central Texas in early July. They were recognized and warmly welcomed by Denise Treadwell, Community Support Section Chief at the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Treadwell helped the volunteers gain access to the disaster areas to prepare for subsequent relief distributions.
“As soon as she saw us, she exclaimed excitedly, ‘Oh, Tzu Chi!’ She recognized us from our blue sky and white clouds uniforms,” Lin recounted with delight. “She was incredibly helpful. She took us to the Multi-Agency Resource Center and briefed us on the overall situation.”
“We really hoped to hold distributions in this severely impacted area,” Lin added. “And she assured us she would try her best to assist us in finding a suitable location. We already had the disaster survivor roster, and we could immediately begin distribution once the location was confirmed.”
Renewing Bonds During the Disaster Assessment
Torrential rains struck Central Texas in early July 2025, causing the Guadalupe River and its Kerr County tributaries to surge and trigger devastating floods. The Tzu Chi USA Southern Region held its first relief distribution at the Burnet Community Center in Burnet County on July 26. After the distribution, the team planned to assess damage in Ingram in Kerr County but was blocked by state police at road closures. Two days later, after the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) announced a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) in Kerrville, also in Kerr County, Southern Region volunteers decided to try again.
Not only did TDEM Community Support Section Chief Denise Treadwell recognize Tzu Chi volunteers, but the team also unexpectedly met staff from All Hands & Hearts at the Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC). The global nonprofit helps communities recover after disasters and get children back in school, and it had previously worked with Tzu Chi in the Philippines.
“We initially just waved greetings, but they came over to say hello and even pulled out photos of themselves with Tzu Chi volunteers,” said Julienne Chi. “We had never met before! Seeing them showing us blue-sky-white-cloud uniform photos, it felt like family, warming and destined.”
Heart-Wrenching Devastation
Tzu Chi’s disaster assessment team was again stopped by state police when attempting to enter the flood impacted area. However, thanks to Denise Treadwell’s active coordination and endorsement, they were given permission to proceed under strict conditions – no stopping, no exiting their vehicles, and filming only while driving. Along the way, scenes of devastation unfolded: collapsed steel-reinforced concrete buildings, scattered furniture, and wrecked vehicles lined the streets. Once-beautiful communities were now unrecognizable.
“Along the way, I photographed piles of debris, fallen trees, damaged furniture, and vehicles. The river used to be so beautiful, but it’s now scarred beyond recognition. People’s furniture, washing machines, houses, and cars are all submerged in water. These scenes are truly heartbreaking!” Julienne Chi recounted with sorrow.
Summer camps along the Guadalupe River bore the brunt of the disaster, with dozens of structures destroyed and, tragically, children’s lives lost. Among them was Camp Mystic – a century-old summer camp beloved and sought after by local youth – which suffered catastrophic destruction when the flood struck.
Area resident Cindy Janke – cousin of Camp Mystic director Richard “Dick” Eastland – recounted that someone told her the river, in just a few hours, carried a volume of water equivalent to two days’ flow over Niagara Falls. Eastland lost his life while attempting to rescue campers. The disaster swept away countless possessions and dealt a devastating blow to the community.
Community Solidarity Rebuilds Hope
Cindy Janke is President of the Hunt Garden Club, whose objective is “to spread beauty, study gardening, preserve natural beauty, educate and foster civic pride.” She was fortunate to be away when the disaster struck. When she and her husband returned to Kerr County three days later, they saw only devastation. “It’s just, when you see it, it’s just really hard to believe [as] you stand on our property – my family has property here, and we have some space on the riverfront. Last weekend I had family members helping us just pick up trash,” she said.
Area residents set up a memorial stretching about 30 yards along Kerrville’s Water Street. They displayed photographs of those who died in the flood and commemorated them with flowers, toys, cards, and other tokens of remembrance. “When you just see the faces of those girls, it’s heartbreaking,” said Janke, as the community grieves.
Janke expressed gratitude for contributions from all sectors of the community and is coordinating resources to host a community volunteer appreciation dinner. “Texas’s state flower is the bluebonnet. I went to pick up a plant for my house, and the woman at the local plant store donated bluebonnet seeds for us to pass out to volunteers as a symbol of hope that we can start rebuilding,” she told the Tzu Chi team.
The pain of survivors lingers in the aftermath of this severe disaster, yet the community’s warmth and resilience still shine. While lives were lost, the spirit of mutual aid and cooperation endures – and even thrives – transcending ethnic, religious, and organizational boundaries. Knowing that Tzu Chi’s past contributions are remembered, our volunteers are confident as they continue providing meaningful assistance. They firmly believe that where there is love, there is hope. Tzu Chi will continue to accompany disaster survivors – in Texas, across the nation, and worldwide – as they navigate their pain and rebuild their lives.
You can be part of that love. Your heartfelt gift can help disaster survivors – today and in the future – and support those in need in myriad ways.
