KERRVILLE, Texas — As the recovery and relief efforts continue in response to the deadly Independence Day Flood in Kerrville, hundreds of volunteers work tirelessly to keep more than 2,000 rescue workers and flood victims fed. One volunteer group, Operation BBQ Relief, served more than 4,000 meals in just one day.
As the recovery effort in the aftermath of one of Texas’s deadliest floods entered its seventh day, the need to keep exhausted search and recovery teams and flood survivors well-fed is a monumental task. Breitbart Texas visited the Kerrville Operation BBQ Relief team on Friday and spoke to Area Coordinator Steve Anderson, who told Breitbart Texas the team in Kerrville served nearly 10,000 meals since the flood.
Anderson says the team of Operation BBQ Relief volunteers served 4,400 meals on Thursday alone. The team will be receiving an additional meat smoker in anticipation of serving more meals on the outskirts of Kerrville. At a Friday afternoon press conference held after President Trump toured the flood-ravaged area, one official told reporters more than 12,000 rescue and relief workers have come to the Kerrville area to volunteer since the flood.
Anderson says the team will evaluate the length of time they will be in the Kerrville area next week and will continue if needed. Anderson says the team is supported by a myriad of sponsors, including a major national insurance company, several big-box department and home improvement stores, as well as a large propane supply company.
Information regarding volunteering or donating to Operation BBQ Relief, a tax-exempt, 501 (c) (3) charity, can be found on their website. A list of sponsors and information about their previous relief missions can also be found there. Anderson credits the non-profit’s generous sponsors with making thousands of meals served daily possible.
Operation BBQ Relief was founded in May 2011 in response to a need for tornado relief efforts in Joplin, Missouri. Competitive pitmasters from nine different states answered the call to feed displaced families and first responders. Together, the founding pitmasters served over 120,000 meals in 13 days.
To date, Operation BBQ Relief has provided over 11 million meals throughout the United States and internationally following natural disasters, including most recently, emergency relief efforts to the Malibu wildfires, Hurricane response to Milton and Helene. The team served nearly 800,000 meals in Florida in response to Hurricane Milton over 22 days.
Operation BBQ Relief is just one of many volunteer relief groups in Kerrville, providing warm meals to the numerous rescue/relief workers and flood survivors. The American Red Cross, Mercy Chefs, the Fraternal Order of Police, and other volunteer groups have outdoor kitchen camps in the area staffed with volunteers eager to attend to the hungry. Some local area restaurants are also aiding in all the important tasks.
The overall death toll in the flood that impacted several other counties in the Lone Star State now stands at 129 in six Texas counties as of Friday afternoon, Officials report. More than 160 people are still missing — a troubling statistic that indicates the recovery mission is far from over.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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