Kerr Together opens disaster relief center, marking shift to long-term recovery

KERRVILLE — Local officials and community leaders gathered Friday to open the Kerr Together Disaster Relief Center, marking a transition from emergency response to long-term rebuilding seven months after the July 4 flood that killed 119 people in Kerr County.

The center at 98 Coronado Drive will serve as a “one-stop shop” for individuals and businesses seeking recovery assistance, officials said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The facility, donated for use by James Avery Artisan Jewelers, will be operated by the Kerr County Long-Term Recovery Group.

“We believe the opening of this center where our citizens and survivors can come to a central location for relief services is a great example of unprecedented coordination and cooperation,” County Judge Rob Kelly said. “This center will make our recovery efforts an example for the entire state of Texas.”

Kelly and Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr. issued a joint proclamation formally recognizing the center and the recovery group’s governance role.

Todd Bock, executive director of the Kerr Economic Development Corp., said the community’s unified response has created lasting bonds.

“I don’t want things to ever go back to normal because this is what I have found to be the real community,” said Bock, who served as master of ceremonies. “I put more contacts into my phone in the last six months than I have in the last 10 years. I’ve always had acquaintances. Those acquaintances are now friends.”

John Dunn, chairman of the Long-Term Recovery Group board and president of the Hunt Preservation Society, said the opening represents “the passing of the baton” from the Kerr County Community Foundation, which focused on immediate humanitarian aid, to the recovery group focused on rebuilding and infrastructure.

The recovery group has secured a 20,000-square-foot warehouse for building materials and identified $159 million in future projects, Dunn said.

“When we face tough times, we do not face them alone. We come together united,” he said.

State Rep. Wesley Virdell praised local leadership for setting a new standard in disaster response.

“This community has set the gold standard for how you respond in a natural disaster,” Virdell said. “You would have thought they had done this a hundred times before.”

Speakers noted the community is eight to 10 months ahead of typical disaster recovery timelines.

Pastor David Payne of First United Methodist Church opened the ceremony with a prayer focusing on gratitude and continued healing.

“We look forward to celebrating the good things that have come out of the darkness,” Payne said.

Officials said search efforts continue for two individuals still missing from the flood. A tourism “comeback campaign” is scheduled to launch in March.