July 29, 2025 9:19pm MDT
Members of the Latter-day Saint Church of Jesus Christ are “essential parts” of flood cleansing in central Texas, Churchofjesuschrist.org recently reported. The initiative will help you with search and rescue assistance, coordinate volunteers, and help you return lost items to your owner.
On July 4th, nearly two feet of rain fell in parts of central Texas. This is because flooding is prone to areas known as “flash flood arrays.” Within hours of the rain on July 4th, the Guadalupe River rose almost 35 feet.
More than 135 people have been killed in the flood, including Sally Graves, a 91-year-old Latter-day Saint from Hunt, Texas.
Nearly 40 of these deaths were located at Mystic, the All-girls summer camp, primarily from Kerr County. The 27 campers and counselors lost their lives in the flood.
Church News reported that Carville is converging about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, with the north of the Guadalupe River and the South Forks. Other severely affected areas are in Texas’ Colorado River, particularly in the Marble Falls north of San Antonio and west of Austin.
The Church’s Southwest North American President – Elders Jose L. Alonso, Michael A. Dunn and Jonathan S. Schmidt issued a statement of hope and comfort on July 7, writing, “I will mourn and pray for those who have lost loved ones and friends.”
Local Latter-day Saints step up
The flooding on the Guadalupe River caused difficult situations rather than the widespread flooding that the hurricane could cause.
So, weeks after the flood, authorities asked to hold off large-scale relief efforts while the search efforts were finished.
Therefore, local Latter-day Saints have instead focused on the needs of their in-person community. For example, members of La Cantera Texas stock have provided approximately 4,000 volunteer hours so far, helping with emergency rescue, heavy machinery support, volunteer coordination, medical response, Mucking and Drywall removal, donations and sorting, debris removal, artifact recovery, animal protection assistance and health checks.
“This recovery is not over,” said J. Michael Villarreal, stake president of La Cantera. “But the foundation built by our members is one of humility, hard work and harmony with our local partners, positioning the Church as a reliable and beneficial presence for months of healing and reconstruction.”
Other Latter-day Saints are involved in search and rescue operations. Clint Johnson of the San Antonio Fire Department was a Latter-day Saint and was one of hundreds of first responders when the floods rose.
He recalls seeing four girls walking through the fields in their nightgowns alone, wet and covered in mud.
“I felt the spirit of telling me strongly that these people needed a lot of help,” Johnson said. “You could see the wounds and pain on their faces. Some were telling stories of loss, many were telling stories of survival.”
Another Latter-day Saint, Louis Depp, volunteered to search for missing people along the riverbank after learning that his friend’s daughter was not accounted for.
He was motivated by his desire to follow the example of Christ. “That’s why we’re here to be a trial and comfort others,” Deppe said. The church added, “It’s the church of action. It’s not just a church that talks about it, it’s the church. Let’s go and help.”
Other Latter-day Saints help volunteers coordinate and restore their wealth. Audra Miller, for example, helped volunteers spread the word about Crisis Cleanup, an emergency response tool that supports service efforts. Miller created flyers and distributed them to businesses, neighborhoods, fire departments and sheriff’s offices.
Another Latter-day Saint, Megan Wilson, is working with a group using social media to find owners of items found along the Guadalupe River. This process involves washing and caring for items and “doing a sacred job” to try and return the property to its owner.
“We’ve seen many miracles over the past few weeks,” Wilson said.
Red Cross collaboration
In addition to local services efforts, the church is working with the American Red Cross to help pay for temporary housing for displaced homeowners.
Bethany Patterson, Public Relations Manager for the Red Cross, said the church’s contributions allow the Red Cross to focus on providing medical and mental health services to displaced people.
“We’ll be here for a long time,” Patterson said. “We’re here for people. That’s thanks to the support from partners like you. Thank you.”
