7 minute read
Edmond Life and Leisure - July 10, 2025
Texas flood ‘worse than reported’
I am sure like us folks watched the incredible devastation that took place in Hill Country in south Texas, over the weekend. This kind of flooding was biblical in proportion to other floods I have seen. For water to rise so fast is incredible and the timing could not have been worse with so many people in the area for the holiday and summer camps.
My first thoughts were of our old friends and former publishers of the Edmond Sun, Ed and Marcia Livermore. They returned my text and confirmed they were safe. They moved to Kerrville, Texas, in 1998. Oddly, their connection with the area was that Marcia’s family had participated in summer camps in Kerr county and as a youth had fallen in love with the area.
Here is what Ed sent back to me, and I wanted to let the many folks in town that know the Livermore family is good but also wanted to share his initial thoughts on this tragedy.
“It’s worse than anything reported. Very difficult to describe in a visual the power of raging water and what it can do. Death toll now over 60, adults and children. More known still missing. Thank goodness for all the reaction at all levels of government. Christy Noem was here yesterday along with a US senator, congressman, governor. They are all committed to doing everything they can. Local, state, federal. Total coordination. Our airport is transformed into a military base with about 30 choppers here from numerous agencies, state and federal. National Guard too. One guardsman, who has done this type of work before, said he’d never seen anything like it. The rescue goes on with people trekking the riverbanks with trained canines, john boats on the water, and choppers in the air, seeking survivors. Pros experienced in commanding mass disaster scenes arrived. Overall, the dedicated, combined government effort saved many.
The water rose 30 feet in less than an hour. At 3 am. Everyone was asleep. The little campers were snug in their cabin, which the water took down the river with them in it. People were in campers and tents all along our formerly beautiful river, here for the July 4th celebration. They had no chance. Luckiest victim was the gal who was swept away and found clinging up in a tree 20 miles downriver! How does that happen? Hellishly bruised but no broken bones and scared to death. She lives next door to a friend.
We were at our downtown river overlook about supper time last night. Camp Waldemar was using the parking area as a place to reunite shocked campers with anxious parents. Suddenly, a van pulled up, and a girl jumped out to rush into the arms of her anxious family, a group hug that lasted about five minutes. She was a lucky one. Our minister this morning, who has been dealing with grieving families, spoke only with difficulty, his natural emotion was so great. Maybe his finest sermon ever. Two wonderful, Chistian camp owners lost their lives trying to save kids. A families camper overturned on the door. Daddy broke out a window, and the family exited, got to a riverbank. But as he exited some shards of glass cut him in the wrong place. He made it to shore but bled out there. Nothing could be done. Last words to his wife and family were that he loved them.
Will our camping economy recover? I don’t know, but it should. Over the past 100 years, tens of thousands of boys and girls have benefited from camping on the clear, blue water of our lovely Guadeloupe River. Marcia and all the mothers and girls in her family camped here, as did our daughter and son back in the 80s. This river rose so fast that even early warnings might not have helped.
But I’m sure such devices will be installed upriver. They must. The camping industry here is over a hundred years old. To offer an idea of how important it has been to so many youths that when the eons long equestrian director (Connie Reeves) at Camp Waldemar passed on about 10 years ago, her obit was on page 1 of the New York Times and countless other major newspapers as well as network news.
But today, rescue remains order of the day though it’ll necessarily turn to recovery soon. Someday, life will be bright again in this beautiful part of the Texas Hill Country. It should be.” I would be cautious to folks wanting to make contributions to the relief effort. Beyond the expected frauds, I would stay away from the Red Cross folks. Having been through a tornado disaster I can tell you that they were no help. Their efforts include sky high administrative cost that has donations funneled back to the head office. FEMA was no help at all and only caused confusion.
Help came in the form of local organizations and churches. Here is a suggestion that was given to me:
Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country 241 Earl Garrett St, Kerrville, Texas. 78028 (830) 896-8811
They already have a button on their web page for your donations, and they are 100% local from my research.
City Council hosting new series of public input meetings, Edmond Matters
Goal is to enhance community connections with Council and staff
To the group of folks that continue to claim Edmond city government does not allow input into the process, please read the information below. The three things that bother me the most
especially since I am turning 67 in a couple of weeks, are when folks do not vote in city elections but continue to complain, they do not attend meetings that are held by the city staff and council, and they claim that residents are not informed about plans and that things are being “shoved down their throats”. If you feel that way you are not paying attention.
If you come up to me and start complaining about city government the first question I ask is did you vote in the last Edmond municipal election. If the answer is no, I will let you know that you have no right to complain. If I were King for a day as my editor likes to say, you could not speak in front of our council unless you proved you voted in the last election. Maybe we could do what they do in third world countries and stick our finger in ink, so they know you voted. No speaking before the council unless your finger is blue folks.
Edmond Matters is a new initiative from City Council designed to give residents a chance to engage in meaningful conversations with elected officials and City of Edmond leadership in a relaxed, informal setting – outside the traditional City Council meeting format.
Each meeting will highlight specific topics related to city affairs and will be held on a quarterly basis.
The first session will cover the newly approved city budget and ongoing efforts to maintain transparency in how your tax dollars are spent. A Q&A session will follow the discussion, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions and share feedback.
Join us at one of two upcoming sessions to be held in the City Council chambers at the new City Hall, located at 22 E. Main Street:
• Tuesday, August 5th from 10 to 11 a.m. with Councilmembers Maggie Murdock Nichols and Phil Fraim
• Thursday, August 7th from 6 to 7 p.m. with Councilmembers Preston Watterson and Barry K. Moore
Both meetings are open to the public, and all residents are encouraged to attend, engage, and get to know their elected officials and City leaders.
For more information, please contact Katy King at 405-359-4577.
(Ray Hibbard, publisher of Edmond Life & Leisure, may be reached at ray@edmondpaper.com)
