The city of Kerrville, Texas, will celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a music festival, children’s activities, and one of the Texas Hill Country’s largest fireworks displays on Saturday evening. The holiday will begin, however, with a much more somber tribute to the lives lost one year ago in one of the deadliest flooding events in Texas history.
Breitbart Texas visited the quiet hill country town on the banks of the Guadalupe River and witnessed the remarkable cleanup efforts that have continued since the devastating flooding on July 4, 2025. The flood claimed 139 lives in and around Kerrville. As reported by Breitbart Texas, in addition to the loss of life, hundreds of homes and recreational vehicles were destroyed during the flooding event.
Scenes of Devastation Along the Banks of the Guadalupe River near Kerrville, Texas (Photos: Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas)
Hundreds of trees that lined the banks of the Guadalupe River for more than a century, including Bald Cypress trees estimated to be around 500 years old, were uprooted and destroyed. A monumental cleanup effort removed nearly two million cubic feet of debris over the last year — a clear cause for celebration on one of the most important holidays for Americans.
The loss of life on that day cannot be undone, and that devastating tragedy will be the focus of the first official ceremony on Saturday morning. Kerr County officials will start the holiday celebration with a somber ceremony at 10:00 a.m. at the county’s Flat Rock Park on the banks of the now serene Guadalupe River.
Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas
Breitbart visited the park on Wednesday, where a newly installed 20-foot white memorial cross honors the 139 victims of the flood — 39 of whom were children. The steel cross will be the center point of the memorial remembrance and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ceremony will also serve to pay tribute to the monumental efforts of those who came to the city to help with recovery and cleanup in the aftermath of the deadly flood.
According to Kerr County officials, the cross was fabricated and donated by Michael Collins of Mineral Wells, Brady’s Love Cross Ministry, and Operation Rescue and Rebuild. The white cross is now a permanent fixture at the park and sits near a new replacement children’s playground donated by Woodmen Life earlier this year.
The face of the large cross bears the inscription “River of Angels” in red, white, and blue to mark the Fourth of July holiday when the flooding occurred. Under the inscription is a somber note that reads, “In memory of all loved ones lost on July 4, 2025.” The steel cross bears a heart-shaped cutout and a slot where visitors are invited to send their “Letters to Heaven.”
Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas
Kerr County Commissioner Rich Paces organized the solemn ceremony and commented on the meaning of the event, saying, “Through remarks, a moment of silence, heartfelt music and prayer, we will remember those we lost during the flood, as well as honor all those who have worked, supported and continue to walk side-by-side with our community during our long-term recovery. It is hoped that this memorial will provide comfort to those who are grieving.”
Of the 139 lives lost in the deadly flooding event in the Texas Hill Country on that day, 119 were lost in Kerr County alone. Two have never been recovered: 8-year-old Cecilia “Cile” Steward and 63-year-old Jeffrey Ramsey.
Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas
The cleanup efforts have allowed some normal summer activities to resume along the river as many campers have returned to the area to celebrate the holiday. Breitbart Texas visited several locations along the banks of the Guadalupe River where emergency flood sirens have been installed, in hopes of averting a similar tragedy in the future. Several children’s summer camps, including Camp Mystic-where 27 children perished-will likely never reopen.
Randy Clark/Breitbart Texas
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is scheduled to speak at the memorial service.
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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