Greg Adkins showed our sister station KHOU 11 News the debris left behind in his backyard, which sits right next to the Guadalupe River.
KERRVILLE, Texas — With floodwaters from the Guadalupe River now receded, the scope of devastation across Kerr County is becoming clearer.
In Kerrville, one resident is sharing his harrowing story of survival as local businesses and volunteers step up to help their neighbors recover.
The destruction on Water Front Drive is unmistakable — splintered wood from damaged homes and scattered personal belongings now line the streets.
Greg Adkins, who lives in Kerrville, was home when the flooding began early in the morning on July 4.
“I was back here in my master bedroom,” Adkins recalled.
He woke up to the sound of electrical transformers exploding and the sight of water creeping up the back stairs of his house.
“The water never got above that first step right there, so I knew, we’re in trouble, and I just immediately ran back to my bedroom, started putting on clothes,” he said.
Within minutes, his home was overtaken by water.
“I wanted to get out. I wanted to get out as quick as possible, because I didn’t want to get trapped in here,” Adkins added.
He managed to escape and saw a tenant renting one of his properties swim to safety. Adkins said if he had stayed in his home a little longer, he does not know if he would have made it out.
“I would have been down the river. Stuck in the window. Something,” he said.
Five days later, debris still covers many properties. According to Adkins, some of the items in his yard came from a house down the street that was ripped off its foundation by the floodwaters.
Miraculously, a young boy who had been inside that home was later found safe in a nearby tree.
Now, the focus is on cleaning up the damage, with the community coming together in a show of resilience.
“People are coming from the neighborhood and from the whole community to help,” Adkins said.
That support includes local restaurants like Carmine’s Italian, where free food is fueling the recovery effort.
“I’m just a heavy believer in helping the community when it’s down,” said Carmine Fazzolari, owner of Carmine’s.
Fazzolari and his team have been making pizzas for free, working with community members to deliver meals to volunteers and first responders since the flooding began.
“It’s just important for the guys that are out there risking their lives. This is the best I can do. I’ll do it from what I do,” he said.
Many restaurants and businesses in Kerrville and the surrounding areas are offering their services at no cost, as the community tries to move forward.