Fort Worth residents gather in solidarity with Texas Hill Country flood victims
More than a week after torrential rains brought deadly floods to the banks of the Guadalupe River, over a hundred Fort Worth residents came together in a show of solidarity with the victims.
Fort Worth and all of Texas is grieving, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker told a gaggle of reporters ahead of Monday’s candlelight vigil at city hall.
Parker framed the event as an opportunity to come together, noting that Texans help Texans, and Fort Worth would want the same kind of support if the city were to ever suffer a similar tragedy.
The city used the opportunity to collect donations for the Salvation Army, and encourage residents to donate to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.
During the vigil, Parker took time to celebrate the efforts of Fort Worth’s residents and businesses responding to the call for help.
She highlighted the efforts of 9-year-old twins Corrigan and Cannon Camp, whose lemonade stand raised over $5,000 for flood relief.
Parker’s staff also created a list of all the Fort Worth businesses who’ve stepped up to help, which she said had stretched to five pages long.
“Fort Worth really is a community that steps up, and I’m reminded of that tonight,” Parker said.
Several speakers highlighted the efforts of Fort Worth’s police and firefighters who’ve been on the ground in Kerrville and other flooded areas to help with search and rescue.
The city has sent 28 firefighters, some of whom were deployed ahead of the flood to help with rapid response, Assistant Fire Chief Raymond Hill told the crowd.
“They are driven by the expressions of those they are helping,” Hill said. “These are our neighbors, these are precious lives, and our teams will continue to work till the job is done.”
Fort Worth’s community always shows up and gives back, said Interim Police Chief Robert Alldredge.
“I guarantee you, our fellow Texans in Hill Country will feel our love and support,” he said.
Alldredge noted his department had four large vehicles filled to the brim with supplies for families and first responders in the flood zone.
He thanked the community for their donations and the city staffers who helped with logistics.
In the midst of the grief following the floods, Alldredge said Monday’s event was personally healing.
He noted that police and firefighters who live and work in Hill Country are going through some of the worst devastation imaginable.
He said they’ll need care and relief long after the recovery efforts have wrapped up.
“Wellness isn’t a luxury, it’s a responsibility,” he said, adding, “grief may bend us, but it will not break us.”
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 9:20 PM.
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