Although no fatalities were reported in Bandera County during the recent flooding, many residents are still coping with the aftermath as county officials assess damages and complete emergency repairs.
According to county officials, approximately $300,000 in emergency repairs have already been completed in the Pipe Creek area alone, with permanent repair costs expected to be significantly higher.
For Amber Klippel and her family, the flooding brought an abrupt evacuation from their home at Riverside RV Park.
The family was awakened early July 15 when deputies with the Bandera City Marshal’s Office arrived at their door and instructed them to leave immediately.
“The deputy said, ‘You need to leave now,’” Klippel recalled.
Fortunately, the family's camper was already attached to their truck, allowing them to evacuate quickly.
“But it was already underwater when we were leaving,” Klippel said. “Our campers are stuck at the high school (Bandera High School) up there.”
Like many flood victims, Klippel faced the challenge of protecting her belongings with little warning. She said a recently purchased $500 air conditioning unit was submerged under approximately six inches of water, and her truck – which has no sunroof - sustained electrical damage from the heavy rainfall.
“So many things go through your mind with anything like this,” she said.
The family later found assistance through Silver Sage, where local charity worker Art Crawford helped provide food, shelter, supplies, and accommodations for both the family and their dogs.
While residents worked to reach safety, emergency responders and volunteers were also called upon to protect livestock threatened by rising waters.
On July 16, E.J. Dennis of Rancher Navy, a disaster response organization, helped coordinate the rescue of more than 80 horses from a ranch near Sisterdale. Rising floodwater had cut off access to the property, preventing local volunteer firefighters from reaching the site.
“The staff at the ranch were left to their own devices to try and get their horses out of the stables and barns that were in the floodplain as the water was rising,” Dennis said. “We got the horses out of the stables and barns and onto higher ground.”
Dennis said floodwater later receded enough to allow trailers onto the property.
“It was a mix of the local community, the people who own the horses, and their friends and family along with our response team,” Dennis said. “We were able to get the 80-plus horses loaded up and relocated to another facility where they could continue to be monitored and cared for.”
As floodwater continues to recede, Bandera County Emergency Management Coordinator Judy Lefevers has been working with the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to assess damage throughout the county.
“We had very few people report individual damage to their homes,” Lefevers said. “We’ve had four people indicate their residence was affected. Not to discount anybody’s report, but nothing significantly structural.”
Lefevers said TDEM teams identified several damaged low-water crossings in the Pipe Creek area, including one on Bear Springs Road.
“Temporary repairs have been made,” she said. “Nobody is stuck where they can’t get out of a neighborhood or anything like that.”
Overall, Lefevers said the recovery process has progressed smoothly.
“There’s been about $300,000 worth of emergency repairs completed,” she said. “The total estimate to do permanent repairs is much higher than that. This includes the temporary and emergency repairs that were completed inside the city limits as well.”
Residents who experienced flood-related damage are encouraged to participate in the state’s damage assessment process. Information and links to the Texas Division of Emergency Management damage survey are available through the Bandera County Emergency Management Facebook page: facebook.com/banderacountyoem.
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