Hunt VFD chief Lee Pool said his community has ‘grit’ and will overcome this tragedy.
HUNT, Texas — First responders in Kerr County continue to work day in and day out to find the missing.
Among those first responders is the volunteer fire department out of Hunt. Hunt was one of the hardest hit areas in the Hill Country by the devastating floods on the Fourth of July.
The Hunt VFD chief, Lee Pool, said he is beyond thankful for the support from around the world for a town he has called home for 19 years. He said he is trying to stay strong for his community, but admitted what he has endured has been difficult.
“In 45 minutes, it rose 28 feet,” Pool said.
In the early hours of July 4th, Pool said they started receiving calls for help. He said his crew did not hesitate to respond to the calls. However, they were met with mother nature.
“We’re trying to get in, the water was coming in quickly. I could not make it to the station, I knew it was bad, so I called in for a code red,” Pool said.
At that point, Pool said he tried to drive back home.
“I’m trapped on Highway 39 so I’m just trying to find the highest place to park my truck and at some point, I had to abandon and make sure I was going to be safe,” Pool said.
He said the next several hours were tough because all they could do was wait for the water to recede enough.
“The most frustrating piece for everybody, because we all have a heart for service, the most frustrating piece is mother nature is going to win the water battle and there were people in need and we could not get to them,” Pool said.
However, they quickly received assistance from the state. Since Friday afternoon, they have not stopped their mission to rescue and recover.
His fire department is also making sure each family impacted has what they need.
“This community has grit,” Pool said. “And with that being said, we are going to get through this.”
Numerous organizations have traveled to the small town to assist, including Global Empowerment Mission.
“Wherever there’s a need, we try to be,” Founder Michael Capponi said.
Capponi said they are not only giving away essential items but gift cards up to $1,000.
“There’s probably not one person in this community that didn’t know at least a few people who either perished or lost everything,” Capponi said.
However, the work has only just begun to rebuild as the search for the unaccounted for, continues.
Pool said his crew has been through both mental and physical challenges. No one has been found alive since Friday and as of Tuesday night, more than 150 people are unaccounted for.
“This is absolutely completely exhausting on both levels,” Pool said.
Pool said he is going to remain faithful and is confident Hunt will overcome this tragedy.
“We’re sticking this out and we’re going to support everybody and bring Hunt back,” Pool said.
Counselors are available in Hunt for first responders as they continue their vital yet grueling work.