Kerrville residents rebuild after deadly flooding batters Texas Hill Country

KERRVILLE. Texas - The floodwaters are gone, and what remains are piles of debris.

It will be another long cleanup process for people here in Kerrville, but they don't have to do it alone as hundreds of hands are back to help this community recover once more.

What we know:

Weeks after it was unveiled, the memorial to honor lives lost last year now bears the scars of this year's tragedy... 

Several days of heavy rain led to dangerous flash flooding in Texas Hill Country, resulting in two deaths.

65-year-old John Steward was in his Kerrville home when it was swept away. A 74-year-old man in Uvalde County died after his vehicle was overcome by the raging water.

Community steps up with relief for Kerrville

What they're saying:

David Henry and Ashlie Bates, with Hands of Hope, came to Kerr County last year to help when historic floodwaters killed more than 100 people.

"It’s pretty horrific. And there’s still visible damage from last year," said Henry.

They answered the call again to give out free breakfast and lunch to those impacted. 

"It makes me feel great, I like giving back to people, you know. I know what it’s like… to not have anything and when you lose everything, a hot meal, I’m gonna cry. It can make your day. So that’s why we like to go out and feed people," said Bates. 

On Saturday, both handed out more than 100 breakfast tacos and 340 hamburgers. Most people who showed up were residents whose homes were damaged, some lost everything. 

"We heard over and over again, it wiped out our house, everything, but it’s okay nobody died," said Henry.

Emergency alerts and safety measures

Dig deeper:

The robust safety measures passed by the state in response to last year's flood included mandatory evacuations, flood warning sirens, and emergency alerts.

All of them went into effect for the area this week. 

Now the cleanup efforts are underway for homes and businesses, like Taquería Jalisco. 

Kerrville businesses and homes face extensive flood damage

Big picture view:

It’s day two of cleaning up and there’s still a lot of debris to clean up. The power and force of the water was enough to sweep up a car. 

Now at the height and peak of the flood, the waters rushed up the hill and filled the inside dining room of the restaurant. A line of mud on the wall shows how high the water was inside. The restaurant was untouched by last year's flood.

They're trying to save what they can, but everything is caked in a layer of mud. They already had to rip out walls and insulation because of water damage. It's a similar sight at the home next door, where two cars remain stuck. 

"I'm doing okay. For the most part, it's just hard seeing everything happen all over again," said Blasek. 

What's next:

Amanda Blasek got 8 meals for her family in the drive-through area set up by H-E-B at the Happy State Bank expo center. 

This is also where emergency management operations are located. H-E-B is offering free breakfast, lunch, and dinner to anyone in need. 

People can also get free cleaning supplies and bottled water. 

The restaurant owner told us he had a party booked for today, catering orders to fill, and a lot of reservations for tomorrow to watch the World Cup finals. 

Now, he's left rebuilding his business. 

Those who want to volunteer to help with recovery efforts are asked to contact the nonprofit organization, Kerr Together. 

Texas