Return to the River

For Texas Highways, Ian Dille reports on the aftermath of the flooding in Kerr County, Texas in the wee hours of July 4th, 2025, a natural disaster that claimed the lives of 119 people. Dille has been making periodic reporting trips to the area since the flood. He observes that while property devastation can be repaired and homes can be rebuilt, it’s much harder to come to terms with with the lives lost in a horrific weather event. “The mental and emotional recovery of the community continues,” he writes. “Throughout Kerr County, pop-up counseling centers provide space for people to congregate and talk. For many, this work will never end.”

The flood stripped away much of the lush foliage that previously hid the Guadalupe from view. Now, it seems, you can see right into the soul of the river.

Upon reaching the Mystic Crossing, Jones and I slide our boats beneath SH 39 and quietly paddle into the sadness of this section. As a navigable waterway, public access to canoe or kayak the Guadalupe River is protected by state law, but a part of me still feels like an interloper. The scene remains surreal, even with the Mystic grounds mostly cleaned up. At the base of the rugged hills, you can see the Twins and Bubble Inn cabins where girls were lost; the diving boards hanging over the river, somehow still anchored to a dock; the hall where campers gathered for shared meals; and the open field for camp games. Twenty-seven freshly planted memorial cypress saplings line the riverbank in front of Camp Mystic.