Edward Graham, COO of Samaritan’s Purse, was in Kerr County, Texas, today to encourage and pray with survivors of the deadly flash floods that tore through the region in the early hours of July 4.
Graham comforted families with Scripture, and encouraged them to cling to Jesus in this time of heartbreak. He also spurred on Samaritan’s Purse volunteers as our full response in the region begins.
“It breaks my heart to see what’s going on here…there is so much loss,” said Graham, as he surveyed the damage along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas. “There are families that will never be the same. Families were ripped apart, and my heart aches for them as a father.
“The first thing to do is pray. Prayers are power, and God answers His people’s prayers,” Graham continued. “And it’s my prayer that this part of Texas knows that they are not forgotten, they are not forsaken, and that God sent His only Son for them.”
Less than a week ago, the banks of the Guadalupe rose an unprecedented 26 feet in 45 minutes, according to local authorities. Over 100 people lost their lives across several central Texas counties as search-and-rescue efforts continue.
Samaritan’s Purse, along with Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains, deployed immediately to Kerr County, Texas, to help hurting families recover in Jesus’ Name. The area, nestled in the Hill Country and home to Camp Mystic, was hit hard, and the majority of reported deaths are from that county.
Orange-shirted Samaritan’s Purse volunteers have started assisting storm-battered homeowners. Our teams work as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ by mudding out flooded basements, salvaging personal belongings, and removing strewn debris and trees—all the while sharing the Good News.
“God brings us the best people,” Graham said of our volunteers. “They are ready to get going, coming from all around the country and the world, to come love on Texas.”
A Story of Survival and a Glimmer of Hope
Rosa Toler, who lives along the Guadalupe River between Hunt and Ingram, Texas, described devastation and complete chaos when she awoke to screams and wails on the morning of July 4. Flooding roared through her neighborhood, leaving people just moments—if that—to flee. She can’t swim, but when a kayak floated by her, she took hold and tried to rescue as many people as possible in her neighborhood.
“It was apocalyptic,” Rosa recalled. “We only had seconds, but the people up front [by the river] didn’t have any seconds. They were swept away. We have lived through flood before but they’ve never come up this far. This time it was totally different.”
Graham met with Rosa as volunteers started to work on her flooded home. She, too, got to work with our volunteers.
Rosa asks for prayer—both for her and her central Texas community: “We need strength and sleep and energy. The energy to keep going; staying positive; keeping calm.”
Central Texas is now reeling from the most deadly and destructive fresh water flooding in the past 100 years. The needs are great, but our God is greater. We have two relief sites: one in Kerr County and one in Tom Green County. Please pray for the hurting in Texas and for our response. Prayerfully consider volunteering to help homeowners in Jesus’ Name.
