By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist
Just over a year after historic flooding devastated parts of the Texas Hill Country, ranchers are once again cleaning up after another destructive flood. They’re repairing damaged fences, replacing lost hay and assessing damage left behind by swollen rivers and creeks.
Heavy rains drenched portions of the Hill Country and parts of South Central Texas in mid-July. Some areas received 20 to 30 inches of rain, sending rivers and creeks out of their banks and damaging homes, crops, pastures and infrastructure across the region.
Kendall County rancher Melody Kneupper said they received about nine inches of rain over three days, causing creeks to overflow and wash out roads, fences and water gaps.
“What was different this year from last year’s flood is that the rain was much more widespread,” Kneupper said. “All of the creeks were up this time. It was hard to get from one end of the ranch, or even one end of the county, to the other.”
Their ranch isn’t located directly on the Guadalupe River, but nearby waterways quickly spilled over their banks as floodwaters moved through the region.
“The river is back to normal now,” Kneupper said. “But the vegetation is dead, trees have been torn down, and it looks devastating.”
The floodwaters washed out water gaps and sections of their fence along Currey Creek, forcing the Kneuppers to act quickly and get livestock into pastures with good fences.
Similar damage, and worse, could be found throughout Kendall County and surrounding counties.
“Lots of ranching families had the majority of their fences ripped out,” Kneupper said. “The day after the flood, neighbors and families were helping each other repair fences so livestock could stay where they belonged.”
The timing made the losses even more difficult. Many ranchers had just finished baling hay when floodwaters swept through.
Kneupper said one neighboring rancher lost 180 round bales in a single field after floodwaters either carried them away or saturated the hay beyond use.
“Whether they planned to feed that hay through the winter or sell it for income, that’s a major financial loss,” Kneupper said.
Floodwaters also stripped away soil and vegetation, leaving concerns about erosion with future rainfall.
Despite the destruction, Kneupper said the community’s willingness to help one another continues to provide hope.
“It was all very fresh on our minds this time,” she said. “We know the people we need to reach out to and check on because we went through this last year. We know it’s possible to make it through. We can do it again.”
The willingness to help neighbors is what continues to carry many rural communities through difficult times.
“Helping out your neighbor is what gives us the most hope,” she said. “You’re not alone, and you can get through it together.”
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