H.R. No. 22       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, First responders from across the nation made   extraordinary efforts to save lives and assist in recovery efforts   in the wake of the flash floods that devastated the Texas Hill   Country in July 2025; and          WHEREAS, In the early hours of the morning on July 4, heavy   rains pummeled the Texas Hill Country and flooded the Guadalupe   River, with one section in Hunt cresting at 37.5 feet; the raging   torrent engulfed parts of Kerr County before continuing downstream,   and devastating flooding also took place in other areas in Central   Texas; hundreds of people were swept away in the storm; more than   135 lives were lost as a result of the flooding, making the disaster   the sixth-deadliest freshwater flood in U.S. history; and          WHEREAS, Local and regional first responders quickly   mobilized to aid communities that were impacted by the storm; law   enforcement officers with the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, the   Kerrville Police Department, and other agencies throughout the area   bravely placed themselves in harm's way to conduct welfare checks   and respond to service calls in the flood zones; numerous   firefighters helped with search and rescue efforts, including Fire   Chief Michael Phillips of the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire   Department, who tragically lost his life during a rescue attempt on   July 5; moreover, numerous Bexar County Emergency Service Districts   deployed boats, drones, ambulances, and technical personnel, and   the San Antonio Fire Department sent water rescue teams, medical   personnel, and an ambulance bus to assist in the field; and          WHEREAS, To support the flood response, the Texas A&M   Engineering Extension Service formed two task forces with swift   water rescue boat squads, urban search and rescue specialists, and   specially trained cross-disciplinary teams; statewide rescue   operations also utilized boats, helicopters, vehicles, and trained   personnel provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the   Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Highway Patrol, and the   Texas National Guard; and          WHEREAS, At the national level, the U.S. Coast Guard made   invaluable contributions to rescue efforts, with one of the   agency's swimmers, Scott Ruskan, helping to rescue approximately   165 people via helicopter deployments; the U.S. Department of   Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency   mobilized federal urban search and rescue assets as well as   logistical coordination, and the National Aeronautics and Space   Administration deployed aircraft through its Disaster Response   Coordination System; and          WHEREAS, A number of other states aided Texas by sending   vital resources such as search and rescue teams and K-9 units; among   the groups that provided interstate assistance were Colorado Task   Force 1, which sent 48 members, the Arkansas National Guard, which   sent 22 personnel, and the Louisiana Swift Water Rescue team, which   sent 14 specialists; help also came from Alabama, Arizona,   California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas,   Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey,   New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,   South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin; in addition,   K-9 teams were provided by Fundación 911 in Acuña, Mexico, and an   urban search-and-rescue team from the Czech Republic; and          WHEREAS, More than 2,000 individuals joined the coalition of   volunteers to help with rescues, debris removal, supplies and food   distribution, and other forms of community assistance; officials   also directed volunteers to organizations such as the Salvation   Army, the American Red Cross, and local churches; and          WHEREAS, Texans are profoundly grateful for the selfless and   courageous individuals who went above and beyond to aid flood   victims, and all those who contributed to the relief effort are   deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby honor the first responders   who provided aid to those impacted by the Texas Hill Country floods   and extend to them sincere appreciation for their actions.     Virdell     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 22 was adopted by the House on August   27, 2025, by a non-record vote.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House