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July 16 flooding damage to Kerrville has hit $55 million, but federal disaster relief is not triggered until that figure reaches $60 million, according to a high-ranking city official.
Assistant Kerrville City Manager Michael Hornes recently briefed the Kerrville City Council on damage and recovery efforts following the flood, the second in a year to hit the city.
He said he believed damage may reach $60 million dollars from this year's flood, but urged residents to be patient this go-around, reminding them of the much heavier devastation in the July 4, 2025, flooding, especially the associated 117 deaths within the county. Due to the terrible scale of the first flood, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump were able to move fast on disaster declarations, he said.
"Last year, it went so fast. I think the expectation from folks is ... why isn't it going to go this fast again," he told the city council. "Because it doesn't go this fast. There're sad, sad reasons why it was that fast last year. So, I know ... no one wants to hear it, but please be patient."
The July flood this year claimed the lift of 65-year-old John Steward when his mobile home was swept away.
Hornes told the council more than 800 homes within the city were reported damaged, destroyed, or affected by flood survivors. He said some of those reports appear inflated due to duplicated storm reporting. The Texas Department of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Agency have been able to validate or certify more than 600 of those reports.
Hornes said the second flood hit some homes already being repaired from last year's Fourth of July flooding. He said much flood debris has been removed, and dumpsters are being set up across the city for residents to help speed up that effort.
He said city utilities, including water, are operational. He said the city's water supply proved the most resilient due to its reliance on varied sources.
Hornes said park areas along the river remained closed and the city hopes volunteer organizations will step forward to assist with efforts to help those parks reopen sooner than later.
"Like the River Trail, which is an uncomplicated one," he said of spots that could easily use volunteer cleanup help. "There are folks that are going to be out there this (past) weekend, helping us clear a lot of that space out."
Some major streets remain closed due to flood damage, the most major being 4th, Arcadia, Town Creek, and Bear Creek. Hornes said most of the bridges damaged within the city are not the property of the city.
