CJS 162

For decades, writer Joe Nick Patoski has covered the ebbs and flows of Texas' rivers. He's written for this magazine about the Frio, Nueces, Blanco, Brazos, and the Comal. Most recently for our June issue, he wrote about spending the summer on the Guadalupe River. "I half-apologized for the extended drought that had impacted the river, assuring readers that despite low flows, fun could still be had," he says.

Then on July 4, everything changed. Patoski, who lives by the water in Wimberley, reflects on the recent devastation in Central Texas. He remembers 10 years ago, on Memorial Day weekend, when a destructive flash flood swelled the Blanco River. It rose 40 feet and swept through the town of Wimberley, killing 10 people.

"I cried seeing the cypress trees by my stretch of the river gone," he writes. "We helped friends recover, while hearing harrowing stories of escape. The people of Wimberley, their neighbors, and strangers all converged along the river, rolled up their sleeves, and started the arduous task of cleaning up and building back. Just as Texans and people from all over the world are doing around Hunt, Ingram, and Kerrville, and in all the other parts of Texas impacted by flash floods. It’s what Texans do."

He knows recovery is going to take years and the loss of life cannot be undone. "But 10 years down the line, I can tell you there is hope," he writes. "There will come a time when the upper Guadalupe is once again the Hill Country river of summer dreams. Until then, we grieve. We pitch in and help our neighbors. It’s what Texans do."

Read his full story here: https://bit.ly/4nTnG8f

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