The Gist
People in Travis County, which includes the heavily-damaged Sandy Creek and Lago Vista neighborhoods, can call the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767 for help with temporary shelter, financial assistance, emotional support and locating missing loved ones.
More information on Travis County resources in response to the disaster can be found here.
People in Williamson County, which includes part of the Rio Ancho neighborhood close to Liberty Hill, who have non-emergency needs, can also contact the Red Cross.
More information on Williamson County resources in the aftermath of the flooding can be found here.
Zooming in
Big Sandy Drive, which goes into the Sandy Creek subdivision, begins with a bridge crossing the Big Sandy Creek from Round Mountain Road. Heavy rainfall from the weekend resulted in water rising over the bridge, slamming it with debris and bringing enough force to slide the top layers of pavement off the road, resulting in the one way in or out of the subdivision closing to vehicles.
About a third of a mile up Round Mountain Road from Big Sandy Drive, volunteers have set up a staging area at Round Mountain Baptist Church where people affected by the disaster can go for food, water, clothing and more.
A resource center will open at noon July 10 at Danielson Middle School in Leander, according to a July 9 Travis County press release. The school is located at 1061 Collaborative Way. The center will offer showers, meals, food boxes, cleaning supplies, health screenings and more, and transportation to and from the center will be available at Round Mountain Baptist Church.
Close to Liberty Hill, homes in the Rio Ancho neighborhood were devastated by flood water when the Southfork San Gabriel River rose and entered the structures over the weekend.
The Rio Ancho homeowners association filled the clubhouse at the back of the neighborhood with water, food and hygiene kits, Celebration Church Pastor Ken DeHart said.
DeHart also noted that Operation Liberty Hill, a thrift store and food pantry, is set up and distributing supplies at 1401 US 183.
What else?
In Kerr County, people can get financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a press release from Gov. Greg Abbott. People in other counties, including Travis and Williamson, can apply as well, as more counties could become eligible as damage is assessed.
People living outside a city’s limits may still have a city address while not being included in city services. People in those areas may need to turn to their county for assistance.
“It gets very complicated and I know that that’s really frustrating for our residents, because these are our neighbors,” Leander Mayor Christine DeLisle said.
People can input their zip code on the Texas Association of Counties website to find out what county they are in.
What they’re saying
“We know this is an incredibly difficult and emotional time for so many in our community,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said in the release.
“Our top priority remains the people impacted by this disaster, especially those still missing and their loved ones. Search, rescue, and response efforts are actively ongoing, and we will not stop until every effort has been made to find those unaccounted for.”
“At the same time, we’re working as quickly and safely as possible to restore access, provide support, and help our community begin to recover and heal. Travis County teams, alongside our state partners, are on the ground assessing needs, clearing debris and making sure residents are connected with the help they need,” Brown said.
