Scott Detrow speaks with KERA’s James Hartley about his reporting on how people gathered at church services Sunday to reflect after the deadly flash floods which killed more than 120 people in central Texas.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
It has been another difficult day in Texas. Heavy rains and a flash flood warning halted search efforts around the Guadalupe River. One hundred sixty people remain missing after devastating July 4 flooding that killed more than 120 others in Kerr County. Today, people are taking stock about what happened and how to move forward. James Hartley of member station KERA has been covering this and joins us now from Kerrville. Hey, James.
JAMES HARTLEY, BYLINE: Hey. How are y’all doing?
DETROW: Let’s start with the situation on the ground today. What’s the latest? What are the conditions?
HARTLEY: Yeah, you know, like you said, it’s been raining heavily off and on here today. Search and rescue efforts were suspended because of that flash warning. Crews were concerned about more water pushing down the Guadalupe and the risks that could create for searchers picking through the massive, tangled debris piles along miles of the river. So the rain is easing a little bit right now, but it’s a difficult reminder of what this area has endured over the last week or so.
DETROW: It’s Sunday. A lot of people went to church today. You visited a few churches yourself and spoke to people. What did they tell you?
HARTLEY: You know, a lot of people are finding comfort in their faith right now, even though it’s difficult to understand what happened and why, from a religious point of view. For some churches, this is their first service since the flood nine days ago. One of those was Barnett Chapel Methodist Church. Maurice Washington, he’s the pastor over there. He says the faith community here has really come together.
MAURICE WASHINGTON: We will have to be there for one another for a long time. We’re going to have to be creative in our approach to helping people come through this. We’re going to have to be able to listen to each other’s pain, even when that same level of pain is not ours.
HARTLEY: He also told me that’s not something they can just do for a few weeks. He says it’s going to be an ongoing process for a long time.
DETROW: There’s been a lot of focus on systems that may have not gone right, specifically, warnings in advance of the flood. Did you talk to anybody about that?
HARTLEY: Sure. You know, there’s been news about that alert system that wasn’t activated as quickly as it might – could have been. There’s also been reporting that the local government decided not to spend money on buying a new or upgrading the flood warning system. So all of those things were top of mind and frustrating for folks like Daryl Coleman (ph). I spoke with him before the service at that Methodist church.
DARYL COLEMAN: I’ve been here 38 years. I’ve seen plenty of floods. All I can ask is the government quit playing around with it. Let’s do something.
HARTLEY: He was at the church with his wife, Robin (ph), who told me that, for now, they need to focus on finding the bodies and that it’s going to be a long and painful process of rebuilding.
DETROW: This was such widespread devastation. What have you been seeing about how people are helping each other?
HARTLEY: You know, there are a lot of needs that may not be as obvious as others. I’ve seen bathroom trailers outside of a Walmart for people who don’t have their own bathrooms anymore. There’s a laundry truck that’s been set up outside the VFW hall, and hotels are putting out food and water for folks who have been displaced. I spoke with Jennifer Stewart (ph). She’s a massage therapist in Dallas. She drove the five hours to Kerrville to offer free massages to the search and rescue crews during their breaks. She said that listening to their stories has been really difficult.
JENNIFER STEWART: I’m just imagining, like, (crying) and hearing stories today of the bodies and the animals and the belongings of people that they will never see again. And it’s just heartbreaking. It is.
HARTLEY: She said she hopes the massages help them relax and maybe even give them a chance to feel spiritually nourished through that relaxation. But as you can hear, the emotions for so many people are raw and palpable.
DETROW: Absolutely. That is James Hartley of member station KERA, reporting from Kerrville, Texas. Thank you so much.
HARTLEY: Yeah, you’re welcome.
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