1 00:00:00,270 --> 00:00:02,060 Dominic Anthony Walsh: Previously on After the Flood. 2 00:00:02,530 --> 00:00:03,750 Joe Herrera: I looked at my rain gauge. 3 00:00:04,220 --> 00:00:06,620 It's 10 and a half inches in, that's 45 minutes. 4 00:00:06,620 --> 00:00:07,460 That's a lot of rain. 5 00:00:07,510 --> 00:00:08,500 Something's going on here. 6 00:00:08,690 --> 00:00:09,559 Matthew Childress: It is not linear. 7 00:00:10,049 --> 00:00:14,179 Um, the grief, the anger, the acceptance, all those pieces 8 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:15,899 you bounce around constantly. 9 00:00:16,159 --> 00:00:20,529 Casey Garrett: They express to us that they know nobody's coming. 10 00:00:21,579 --> 00:00:22,659 Nobody's coming for us. 11 00:00:22,659 --> 00:00:24,269 We know that that's done. 12 00:00:24,989 --> 00:00:25,399 Miles Muryama: Why? 13 00:00:25,539 --> 00:00:25,859 Why? 14 00:00:26,180 --> 00:00:26,490 Why? 15 00:00:26,789 --> 00:00:29,700 Why 4th of July, wee hours in the morning? 16 00:00:29,919 --> 00:00:33,249 Why couldn't it be 4th of July during daylight where people 17 00:00:33,250 --> 00:00:34,639 would have had a chance maybe? 18 00:00:42,104 --> 00:00:45,044 Dominic Anthony Walsh: I'm Dominic Anthony Walsh, the host of After the Flood. 19 00:00:45,324 --> 00:00:48,384 The episode you're about to hear references death, trauma, 20 00:00:48,434 --> 00:00:52,554 and finding human remains, so please take care while listening. 21 00:00:54,144 --> 00:00:59,073 On July 31st, 2025, residents from across Central Texas had gathered 22 00:00:59,133 --> 00:01:00,964 at an event center in Kerrville. 23 00:01:01,463 --> 00:01:05,063 They were there to tell state lawmakers and the public about the flood they'd 24 00:01:05,063 --> 00:01:06,853 survived just a few weeks earlier. 25 00:01:07,324 --> 00:01:09,514 One of those people was Ashlee Willis. 26 00:01:09,924 --> 00:01:10,983 Ashlee Willis: My name is Ashlee Willis. 27 00:01:11,024 --> 00:01:13,993 I am also a Sandy Creek resident, at least I used to be. 28 00:01:14,103 --> 00:01:14,904 I'll live there again. 29 00:01:15,033 --> 00:01:17,133 Dominic Anthony Walsh: You can tell watching the footage that 30 00:01:17,133 --> 00:01:19,653 Ashlee was tired but determined. 31 00:01:20,074 --> 00:01:23,444 She wanted to use the three minutes that she'd been given to relay as much of 32 00:01:23,444 --> 00:01:27,743 her experience as possible, including how destructive and deadly the flood 33 00:01:27,743 --> 00:01:30,823 had been and how gruesome the aftermath. 34 00:01:31,533 --> 00:01:34,233 One thing she said was particularly startling. 35 00:01:34,353 --> 00:01:39,664 Ashlee Willis: I found a hip and a leg on my property, and we did 36 00:01:39,664 --> 00:01:42,153 that, volunteers in the community 37 00:01:46,730 --> 00:01:48,690 Dominic Anthony Walsh: Ashlee and her family lost everything 38 00:01:48,780 --> 00:01:50,100 that July 4th weekend. 39 00:01:50,650 --> 00:01:52,720 But they don't live in Kerr County. 40 00:01:52,950 --> 00:01:57,660 They live about 100 miles northeast in a small unincorporated community 41 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,100 outside Austin called Sandy Creek. 42 00:02:00,559 --> 00:02:05,359 In the early morning hours of July 5th, floodwaters swept through Sandy Creek. 43 00:02:05,750 --> 00:02:09,120 Nine people died, and more than 100 homes were damaged or 44 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,210 destroyed, including Ashlee's. 45 00:02:11,969 --> 00:02:15,929 Kerr County and Sandy Creek are similar in that they share the natural beauty 46 00:02:15,979 --> 00:02:19,409 that you find in the Hill Country, but there are some big differences. 47 00:02:19,990 --> 00:02:22,560 Sandy Creek is not a vacation destination. 48 00:02:22,979 --> 00:02:24,499 There aren't any summer camps. 49 00:02:24,740 --> 00:02:28,100 What happened in Sandy Creek did not get national attention. 50 00:02:29,260 --> 00:02:33,710 Right after the storm, Ashlee and some of her neighbors did not get the help 51 00:02:33,710 --> 00:02:37,879 they expected, and in the months that have followed, they've discovered what 52 00:02:37,909 --> 00:02:42,539 many disaster victims confront, just how complicated the recovery process can be. 53 00:02:51,446 --> 00:02:54,366 I first heard about Ashlee from my colleague, Kaylie Hunt. 54 00:02:54,556 --> 00:02:58,956 Kaylie's a reporter at KUT, the NPR station in Austin, and 55 00:02:58,996 --> 00:03:00,586 we'd both covered the floods. 56 00:03:00,926 --> 00:03:04,836 In November, we checked in with survivors about their plans for Thanksgiving. 57 00:03:05,156 --> 00:03:09,066 I went back to Kerr County to visit Miles Maruyama, Ramiro Rodriguez, 58 00:03:09,066 --> 00:03:10,666 and Lilia and Joe Herrera. 59 00:03:11,086 --> 00:03:12,506 You heard them in episode one. 60 00:03:12,705 --> 00:03:15,915 They were the neighbors in Bumblebee Hills who helped each other 61 00:03:15,916 --> 00:03:17,806 survive the flood on July 4th. 62 00:03:19,275 --> 00:03:19,996 Miles Muryama: Hey, how's it going? 63 00:03:20,066 --> 00:03:20,785 All right, come on in. 64 00:03:22,406 --> 00:03:25,195 Dominic Anthony Walsh: It was four months after the flood, and Miles' house had 65 00:03:25,196 --> 00:03:29,666 already been repaired, so much so that you couldn't tell it had been damaged. 66 00:03:30,045 --> 00:03:31,775 He planned on hosting dinner. 67 00:03:31,875 --> 00:03:34,626 Miles Murayama: I can't wait for Thanksgiving so we can invite 68 00:03:34,636 --> 00:03:36,535 the family over, you know? 69 00:03:36,555 --> 00:03:37,435 We can have a gathering. 70 00:03:37,875 --> 00:03:39,175 You know, this is a gathering place. 71 00:03:39,285 --> 00:03:41,515 Dominic Anthony Walsh: Lilia and Joe Herrera were gonna have people 72 00:03:41,516 --> 00:03:45,066 over for Thanksgiving, too, even though they were still rebuilding. 73 00:03:45,525 --> 00:03:47,496 Lilia Herrera: I might not have everything, but we will 74 00:03:47,496 --> 00:03:48,905 make do with what I have. 75 00:03:49,465 --> 00:03:50,915 That's what we're gonna do, right, Joe? 76 00:03:52,605 --> 00:03:53,815 Have the best, we're gonna have the best ever. 77 00:03:53,815 --> 00:03:53,835 Yep, yep. 78 00:03:53,835 --> 00:03:57,046 Dominic Anthony Walsh: Ramiro, the man who'd saved Joe and Lilia from the 79 00:03:57,266 --> 00:04:02,385 floodwaters, was planning on volunteering on Thanksgiving, and then heading to their 80 00:04:02,385 --> 00:04:04,965 home afterwards to celebrate the holiday. 81 00:04:05,185 --> 00:04:08,496 Kaylie, meanwhile, had reached out to Ashlee and her family. 82 00:04:08,755 --> 00:04:12,546 Their situation was very different from the folks in Bumblebee Hills. 83 00:04:12,615 --> 00:04:15,965 Ashlee Willis: We are currently in campers back on the farm, 84 00:04:16,446 --> 00:04:17,735 trying our best to rebuild. 85 00:04:17,795 --> 00:04:20,915 We are using, actually, the slab foundation that used to be our brewery 86 00:04:20,955 --> 00:04:22,725 building as our community patio. 87 00:04:22,895 --> 00:04:23,715 We've made it kinda cute. 88 00:04:23,715 --> 00:04:24,995 There are pink flamingos. 89 00:04:25,665 --> 00:04:27,695 Dominic Anthony Walsh: Ashlee and her family were planning to go to 90 00:04:27,735 --> 00:04:29,395 a friend's house for Thanksgiving. 91 00:04:29,575 --> 00:04:31,545 Ashlee Willis: And they're gonna provide the space, and we're 92 00:04:31,545 --> 00:04:34,356 gonna do our best to pretend that this isn't our life for a day. 93 00:04:35,156 --> 00:04:38,815 Dominic Anthony Walsh: By May 2026, six months after that Thanksgiving, 94 00:04:38,825 --> 00:04:43,416 and nearly a year after the flood, Kaylie told me that Ashlee and her 95 00:04:43,416 --> 00:04:46,045 family were still living in trailers. 96 00:04:46,406 --> 00:04:48,875 So I decided to go to Austin to meet them. 97 00:04:49,255 --> 00:04:53,485 Kaylie and I met at the KUT offices on the University of Texas campus, 98 00:04:53,785 --> 00:04:55,455 and started driving northwest. 99 00:04:55,705 --> 00:04:59,505 About 40 minutes later, we entered a suburb of Austin called Leander. 100 00:04:59,615 --> 00:05:03,830 Kailey Hunt: Right up here This is actually where I went to high school. 101 00:05:04,930 --> 00:05:06,500 Dominic Anthony Walsh: Kaylee grew up in Leander. 102 00:05:06,660 --> 00:05:10,820 During her lifetime, she'd seen it grow from a town of about 8,000 people 103 00:05:11,110 --> 00:05:13,480 to a small city of about 80,000. 104 00:05:14,049 --> 00:05:18,940 Driving through Leander, we saw signs of that growth, lots of new apartments, 105 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,330 a new Home Depot, and an H-E-B. 106 00:05:21,790 --> 00:05:26,440 But once we were past the city limits, we had definitely entered the Hill Country. 107 00:05:26,940 --> 00:05:29,609 You got the roadside wildflowers. 108 00:05:30,030 --> 00:05:32,960 Um, you know, the trees are green, and 109 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:37,209 then through the cracks in the trees, you can kind of see for 110 00:05:37,210 --> 00:05:39,700 miles, uh, the rolling hills. 111 00:05:40,179 --> 00:05:43,369 This part of Travis County looks a lot like Kerr County, even 112 00:05:43,370 --> 00:05:45,509 though it's about 100 miles away. 113 00:05:45,789 --> 00:05:50,580 The area is unincorporated, which means it's not part of any town or city. 114 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,679 The people who live there rely on Travis County for things like governance, 115 00:05:54,710 --> 00:05:56,659 infrastructure, and public safety. 116 00:05:57,089 --> 00:06:01,330 We turned onto a small winding road and took it all the way to the end, 117 00:06:01,589 --> 00:06:04,220 driving over a gravel low water crossing. 118 00:06:04,719 --> 00:06:07,599 A sign that said Asher Acres came into view. 119 00:06:07,870 --> 00:06:09,949 We had made it to Ashlee Willis' home 120 00:06:12,358 --> 00:06:13,418 Ashlee Willis: Hello, hello. 121 00:06:13,428 --> 00:06:14,308 How are you guys doing? 122 00:06:14,308 --> 00:06:14,718 Good. 123 00:06:15,378 --> 00:06:18,088 Dominic Anthony Walsh: Ashlee and her family had been living on this same 124 00:06:18,088 --> 00:06:20,718 piece of land for nearly 40 years. 125 00:06:21,177 --> 00:06:24,818 She took us to the concrete slab with the pink flamingos that she 126 00:06:24,818 --> 00:06:26,528 mentioned earlier in the episode. 127 00:06:27,007 --> 00:06:29,678 She and her family call it their living room. 128 00:06:30,147 --> 00:06:33,688 There was an outdoor sofa, some chairs, and a table underneath 129 00:06:33,688 --> 00:06:37,427 a metal carport, which they had decorated with colorful lights. 130 00:06:37,827 --> 00:06:42,267 They also had an outdoor dining table and green turf laid out next to the carport. 131 00:06:42,837 --> 00:06:46,307 Three campers surrounded the space: one for Ashlee, one for 132 00:06:46,307 --> 00:06:50,157 her mom and dad, Brandy and Greg, and one for her aunt, Donna. 133 00:06:50,907 --> 00:06:53,057 Ashlee went to get her mom, Brandy. 134 00:06:54,817 --> 00:06:56,832 Ashlee Willis: I'm gonna go grab mom real 135 00:06:56,832 --> 00:06:56,897 Dominic Anthony Walsh: quick. 136 00:06:56,897 --> 00:06:57,157 Make yourselves at home. 137 00:06:57,157 --> 00:07:00,887 They've done their best to make it feel like home, but Ashlee and Brandy told 138 00:07:00,888 --> 00:07:05,057 us it looked nothing like it did before the flood, when they lived in multiple 139 00:07:05,068 --> 00:07:07,637 modest homes and ran a small family farm. 140 00:07:07,927 --> 00:07:08,107 Brandy Gerstner: I mean, 141 00:07:08,107 --> 00:07:09,178 Ashlee Willis: my house was 142 00:07:09,827 --> 00:07:10,797 Brandy Gerstner: across the driveway there. 143 00:07:10,827 --> 00:07:12,037 She had a three-bedroom, two-bath house there. 144 00:07:12,458 --> 00:07:16,007 My husband and I had a three-bedroom, two-bath house there, and my 145 00:07:16,007 --> 00:07:20,058 sister had her single wide mobile home across the creek. 146 00:07:20,138 --> 00:07:21,327 We had the pump house. 147 00:07:21,608 --> 00:07:25,317 We had- Two barns … two barns, a huge chicken coop. 148 00:07:25,327 --> 00:07:25,657 The bees. 149 00:07:25,748 --> 00:07:27,887 Uh, the bees, the pig pens. 150 00:07:28,047 --> 00:07:30,357 Dominic Anthony Walsh: The only two structures on the property 151 00:07:30,358 --> 00:07:34,068 that survived the flood were the greenhouse and the pump house. 152 00:07:34,627 --> 00:07:37,208 Big Sandy Creek runs right through their property. 153 00:07:37,407 --> 00:07:42,028 This was the same creek that flooded on July 5th, but the day we visited, 154 00:07:42,108 --> 00:07:44,057 it was only a trickle of water. 155 00:07:44,318 --> 00:07:49,117 This area is prone to flooding, but Ashlee and Brandy told us that in the 156 00:07:49,117 --> 00:07:53,347 nearly 40 years their family has lived there, they'd never had any issues 157 00:07:53,347 --> 00:07:55,567 with floodwater reaching their houses. 158 00:07:56,147 --> 00:08:00,537 Next to their makeshift living room was a big expanse of flat earth 159 00:08:00,697 --> 00:08:04,877 with a couple patches of green grass that used to be their swimming pool. 160 00:08:04,998 --> 00:08:08,517 Brandy Gerstner: Yeah, we had a beautiful swimming pool with three tiered decks. 161 00:08:08,568 --> 00:08:08,628 That 162 00:08:08,638 --> 00:08:09,137 Ashlee Willis: hot tub was 163 00:08:09,137 --> 00:08:09,267 Brandy Gerstner: amazing. 164 00:08:09,267 --> 00:08:14,697 And a hot tub and fireplace on it, and it was, it was gorgeous. 165 00:08:14,708 --> 00:08:18,977 It was our little piece of Eden, and it was so dense with trees, you just felt 166 00:08:18,978 --> 00:08:21,497 like you were in your own, your own space. 167 00:08:21,547 --> 00:08:23,557 There, this was all solid trees. 168 00:08:23,837 --> 00:08:25,777 Dominic Anthony Walsh: Kailey’s been following Ashlee and Brandy’s 169 00:08:25,777 --> 00:08:31,267 story for a year --. They thought help would come after the flood. 170 00:08:31,267 --> 00:08:36,667 But what actually happened was more complicated 171 00:08:41,227 --> 00:08:43,167 Kaylee picks up the story from here. 172 00:08:44,010 --> 00:08:47,860 Kailey Hunt: The night of July 4th, Ashlee and her friends were partying at her pool. 173 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:50,600 Ashlee had heard about the flooding in Kerr County. 174 00:08:50,910 --> 00:08:52,620 Ashlee Willis: Um, but I didn't think anything of that 'cause that, 175 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,360 like, as far as our safety here, our waterway's not connected to there. 176 00:08:55,370 --> 00:08:55,510 Like- 177 00:08:55,710 --> 00:08:56,470 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee's right. 178 00:08:57,210 --> 00:09:01,009 Creek isn't connected to the Guadalupe River that runs through Kerr County. 179 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,400 It's a tributary that flows into Lake Travis, a dammed 180 00:09:04,460 --> 00:09:06,009 part of the Colorado River. 181 00:09:06,659 --> 00:09:10,209 However, the same weather system that caused the rain in Kerr County 182 00:09:10,530 --> 00:09:12,780 also caused the rain in Sandy Creek. 183 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:18,480 It had been raining that July 4th, and Kerr County had just flooded, but Ashlee 184 00:09:18,499 --> 00:09:20,149 said she and her friends weren't worried. 185 00:09:20,599 --> 00:09:23,590 They went to bed around 12:30 the morning of July 5th. 186 00:09:24,689 --> 00:09:29,930 Two hours later, Ashlee woke up to her friends screaming and banging on her door. 187 00:09:29,959 --> 00:09:33,259 Ashlee Willis: And then I opened the door, and I was just like … I 188 00:09:33,259 --> 00:09:34,449 don't even know how to explain it. 189 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:36,259 It's, I mean, it was biblical-looking. 190 00:09:36,270 --> 00:09:38,799 Like, it just, it, it made no sense what I was looking at. 191 00:09:39,130 --> 00:09:42,069 Like, just, like, cars that I didn't recognize, and campers, 192 00:09:42,189 --> 00:09:44,139 and, like, just people screaming. 193 00:09:44,470 --> 00:09:47,079 And, like, I'm rushing people into the house who can get to 194 00:09:47,079 --> 00:09:48,800 the house before my patio goes. 195 00:09:49,539 --> 00:09:53,739 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee and five friends, two dogs, and two cats spent the 196 00:09:53,740 --> 00:09:55,450 night on top of her pool table. 197 00:09:55,509 --> 00:09:58,050 Ashlee Willis: And just prayed that the water didn't get taller than the ceiling. 198 00:09:59,249 --> 00:10:02,749 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee's mom, Brandy, and her husband, Greg, made it to the 199 00:10:02,749 --> 00:10:04,929 family's greenhouse on higher ground. 200 00:10:05,009 --> 00:10:08,189 But Brandy and Greg realized that a couple of Ashlee's friends were 201 00:10:08,189 --> 00:10:09,970 still trapped in the floodwaters. 202 00:10:10,619 --> 00:10:14,269 Greg, who had been trained as a ski patrol EMT, went to save them. 203 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:15,989 Brandy was terrified. 204 00:10:16,359 --> 00:10:17,999 Brandy Gerstner: You could hear people screaming. 205 00:10:17,999 --> 00:10:22,799 There's, um, there's thunder, it's lightning, it's pouring down rain, and 206 00:10:22,799 --> 00:10:24,899 the re- sound of the rushing water. 207 00:10:25,209 --> 00:10:29,520 It's just so many different noises all … It's … It was just terrifying. 208 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:31,189 And you're just in the dark, in the rain 209 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,650 Kailey Hunt: Greg grabbed a tire and floated out to the car where 210 00:10:36,689 --> 00:10:38,290 Ashlee's friends were trapped. 211 00:10:38,810 --> 00:10:42,800 One by one, he brought them to the greenhouse where they rode out the storm 212 00:10:47,726 --> 00:10:51,186 Eventually, the waters receded and the sun rose. 213 00:10:51,716 --> 00:10:54,086 Ashlee documented the scene on TikTok. 214 00:10:54,866 --> 00:10:55,436 Ashlee Willis: It's all gone. 215 00:10:57,356 --> 00:10:58,276 Everything is gone. 216 00:10:59,836 --> 00:11:02,246 The pool, the brewery, the bar. 217 00:11:03,575 --> 00:11:05,065 Mama's house is effed. 218 00:11:05,306 --> 00:11:08,666 This one is no better. 219 00:11:08,746 --> 00:11:09,286 Um- 220 00:11:10,535 --> 00:11:13,356 Kailey Hunt: Where trees used to be, there was just flat earth. 221 00:11:14,005 --> 00:11:18,626 There were cars and pieces of decking, parts of metal roofs and wooden fences, 222 00:11:19,075 --> 00:11:23,996 and what looked like a hot pink kid's toy, all piled up in a heap with trees and mud. 223 00:11:25,046 --> 00:11:29,225 Outside Ashlee's house, a dirty waterline showed floodwater had reached 224 00:11:29,226 --> 00:11:30,936 nearly the top of her front door. 225 00:11:32,165 --> 00:11:36,335 Her aunt's house across the creek was gone, and they didn't know where she was. 226 00:11:37,125 --> 00:11:40,445 They would eventually find her with the help of a 911 operator. 227 00:11:41,156 --> 00:11:42,595 She was in an emergency room. 228 00:11:43,156 --> 00:11:47,015 Turns out she had been swept miles downstream. 229 00:11:47,865 --> 00:11:53,225 In the houses directly across the creek from Asher Acres, six people died. 230 00:11:54,985 --> 00:11:58,566 Ashlee and her group eventually made their way to their neighbor Ron's 231 00:11:58,566 --> 00:12:00,595 house, which was located on a hill. 232 00:12:00,645 --> 00:12:02,775 Ashlee Willis: And we all stayed on his porch, 'cause we were covered 233 00:12:02,785 --> 00:12:07,025 in gas and sewer, septic, and oil, whatever else is in that water. 234 00:12:07,086 --> 00:12:11,235 Later to be noted, nothing I thought about the day of, poison ivy, which 235 00:12:11,235 --> 00:12:14,136 I had in places we will not discuss 236 00:12:17,582 --> 00:12:20,932 Kailey Hunt: The only road in and out of their part of the neighborhood had 237 00:12:20,932 --> 00:12:23,172 been overtaken by water from the creek. 238 00:12:23,891 --> 00:12:26,702 That meant they couldn't get out, and help couldn't get in. 239 00:12:27,572 --> 00:12:30,951 On July 5th, a first responder tried to drive a vehicle through 240 00:12:30,952 --> 00:12:33,321 the rushing water, but got stuck. 241 00:12:34,162 --> 00:12:37,981 Later that day, first responders came on a boat, and two of Ashlee's 242 00:12:38,002 --> 00:12:39,601 friends were medically evacuated. 243 00:12:40,242 --> 00:12:42,581 The rest, however, were told to stay put. 244 00:12:42,662 --> 00:12:44,042 Ashlee Willis: And we're like, "Hey, we totally get it. 245 00:12:44,191 --> 00:12:48,231 That's fine." But then it was, like, another day, and I'm like, "Uh…" 246 00:12:49,371 --> 00:12:51,021 Kailey Hunt: They waited and waited. 247 00:12:51,551 --> 00:12:52,411 They were dirty. 248 00:12:52,891 --> 00:12:53,532 They were hot. 249 00:12:54,152 --> 00:12:55,532 They were covered in muck. 250 00:12:56,111 --> 00:12:57,271 They had no power. 251 00:12:57,582 --> 00:12:59,382 They were running out of drinking water. 252 00:13:00,051 --> 00:13:05,741 They said they called 911 multiple times, but still, nobody came. 253 00:13:06,721 --> 00:13:07,501 Here's Brandy. 254 00:13:07,922 --> 00:13:11,831 Brandy Gerstner: And still having heard the night before all about Kerrville, 255 00:13:11,832 --> 00:13:15,101 and it was just loud on the news, and everybody heard it, and I'm thinking, 256 00:13:15,631 --> 00:13:21,001 "Well, surely somebody's gonna be here for us." But there wasn't. 257 00:13:21,281 --> 00:13:22,391 There was no one. 258 00:13:23,692 --> 00:13:26,942 Kailey Hunt: On the afternoon of the 6th, Ashlee and her group noticed 259 00:13:26,942 --> 00:13:28,751 the rushing water was slowing down. 260 00:13:29,442 --> 00:13:33,161 With no expectation that help was on the way, they found a narrow 261 00:13:33,162 --> 00:13:36,821 plank of wood and used it like a balance beam to cross the road. 262 00:13:37,402 --> 00:13:41,101 Once they got to the other side, Ashlee said family members picked them up. 263 00:13:41,671 --> 00:13:43,292 Ashlee Willis: It was a self-rescue, for sure 264 00:13:45,422 --> 00:13:48,672 Kailey Hunt: Search and rescue teams were on the ground in Sandy Creek. 265 00:13:48,862 --> 00:13:52,572 Travis County Judge Andy Brown is responsible for coordinating 266 00:13:52,572 --> 00:13:55,522 disaster response and recovery efforts in Sandy Creek. 267 00:13:55,942 --> 00:13:59,361 In Texas, a county judge is kind of the CEO of a county. 268 00:13:59,712 --> 00:14:03,222 According to Judge Brown, there were local responders in the area 269 00:14:03,231 --> 00:14:04,732 from the beginning of the flood. 270 00:14:04,992 --> 00:14:10,342 He said the first water rescue call was received on July 5th at 12:23 AM. 271 00:14:10,682 --> 00:14:14,871 Around 2:00 AM on the 5th, a rescue helicopter tried to respond to requests 272 00:14:14,871 --> 00:14:18,572 for help, but couldn't because of low visibility and torrential rain. 273 00:14:19,341 --> 00:14:25,611 From about 1:50 AM to 6:50 AM, 911 received 600 more calls than 274 00:14:25,611 --> 00:14:27,671 usual from the Sandy Creek area. 275 00:14:28,492 --> 00:14:32,722 By the end of the day on July 5th, many of the nearby cities and towns 276 00:14:32,771 --> 00:14:34,641 were providing emergency support. 277 00:14:35,262 --> 00:14:39,111 This is Judge Brown at that legislative hearing held on July 31st. 278 00:14:39,781 --> 00:14:42,221 Judge Andy Brown: We had 78 first responders from all across Travis 279 00:14:42,221 --> 00:14:47,301 County, uh, Round Rock Fire, Austin Fire, Leander Fire, Austin Travis County EMS. 280 00:14:47,531 --> 00:14:51,581 Kailey Hunt: The Texas Department of Emergency Management, or TDEM, had 281 00:14:51,581 --> 00:14:54,231 search teams out as early as July 5th. 282 00:14:55,002 --> 00:14:59,691 By that Monday, July 7th, TDEM took over the search and rescue operations, 283 00:14:59,932 --> 00:15:01,651 but still reported to the county. 284 00:15:02,361 --> 00:15:05,431 Judge Brown said that a lot of people were helping out. 285 00:15:05,591 --> 00:15:09,632 Judge Andy Brown: They had over 560 people there in Travis County responding. 286 00:15:09,941 --> 00:15:13,152 Kailey Hunt: I asked Judge Brown why Ashlee and Brandy hadn't been 287 00:15:13,152 --> 00:15:17,622 evacuated, and he told me that even though he's met them before, he 288 00:15:17,622 --> 00:15:19,931 hadn't heard that part of their story. 289 00:15:20,492 --> 00:15:22,301 Speaker 13: I've not heard of anyone that wasn't evacuated 290 00:15:22,521 --> 00:15:22,882 that wanted to be evacuated. 291 00:15:22,882 --> 00:15:22,942 That is new info to me. 292 00:15:25,941 --> 00:15:28,992 Kailey Hunt: After the flood, people converged on Sandy Creek looking 293 00:15:28,992 --> 00:15:33,468 for ways to help, just as they had in Kerr County When I made my first 294 00:15:33,478 --> 00:15:38,058 trip out to Sandy Creek on July 6th, I saw dozens of volunteers milling 295 00:15:38,058 --> 00:15:41,637 around the neighborhood, and many of them were just regular people, 296 00:15:41,728 --> 00:15:43,628 not affiliated with any groups. 297 00:15:44,128 --> 00:15:47,817 They showed up with whatever equipment or supplies they had, ready to help. 298 00:15:48,147 --> 00:15:51,107 But at that time, there was no official group coordinating 299 00:15:51,117 --> 00:15:52,467 all of these volunteers. 300 00:15:52,988 --> 00:15:56,557 According to Judge Brown, it took Travis County four days after the 301 00:15:56,558 --> 00:16:00,048 flood to appoint an organization to lead the volunteer efforts. 302 00:16:00,677 --> 00:16:05,238 Speaking to me and Dominic back in May, Ashlee and Brandy acknowledged 303 00:16:05,238 --> 00:16:08,827 that there were government resources and volunteers in Sandy Creek, 304 00:16:09,207 --> 00:16:10,928 but for them it wasn't enough. 305 00:16:11,218 --> 00:16:14,237 Brandy Gerstner: You think you're, you're covered by having insurance. 306 00:16:14,238 --> 00:16:16,337 You think you're covered, you pay your taxes. 307 00:16:16,337 --> 00:16:20,107 You think that, you know, something catastrophic to this degree, there would 308 00:16:20,117 --> 00:16:23,658 be people here, especially having deaths. 309 00:16:23,718 --> 00:16:27,027 Ashlee Willis: But instead you just call 911 until everyone's phone dies. 310 00:16:27,238 --> 00:16:27,648 Brandy Gerstner: Yeah. 311 00:16:27,697 --> 00:16:29,257 And, and- Nothing. 312 00:16:29,977 --> 00:16:30,077 Nothing. 313 00:16:30,148 --> 00:16:31,197 Absolutely nothing. 314 00:16:31,797 --> 00:16:34,457 Kailey Hunt: Coming up after the break, Ashlee and Brandy start 315 00:16:34,457 --> 00:16:38,397 the long process of recovery and become advocates for Sandy Creek. 316 00:16:38,947 --> 00:16:43,088 Brandy Gerstner: I mean, at 65, I never dreamed I'd be working as an activist to 317 00:16:43,088 --> 00:16:45,067 try and reform the government, seriously. 318 00:16:45,068 --> 00:16:45,667 Yeah, you are. 319 00:16:45,818 --> 00:16:47,377 Ashlee Willis: High school me is so proud of me right now. 320 00:16:47,447 --> 00:16:49,168 She's like, "Yeah, you go bully the government." 321 00:16:52,608 --> 00:16:56,117 Kailey Hunt: After Ashlee and her family rescued themselves, they were able to 322 00:16:56,117 --> 00:17:00,988 find rooms at an extended stay hotel about 25 minutes away from Sandy Creek. 323 00:17:01,148 --> 00:17:05,627 Unbeknownst to Ashlee, that would become their home for the next seven weeks. 324 00:17:06,048 --> 00:17:09,977 It was five days after the flood before they could return to their property. 325 00:17:10,437 --> 00:17:14,268 After that, Ashlee and her family would commute back to Sandy Creek. 326 00:17:14,907 --> 00:17:18,447 Ashlee Willis: And, like, just work 10, 12-hour days just clearing 327 00:17:18,447 --> 00:17:24,627 debris, moving trash, moving earth, loading trash, loading earth. 328 00:17:24,707 --> 00:17:25,548 Just like, ugh. 329 00:17:26,887 --> 00:17:30,318 Kailey Hunt: Brandi told me that though there were some government resources 330 00:17:30,328 --> 00:17:34,218 in the area, they were doing this cleanup work mostly with the help 331 00:17:34,218 --> 00:17:36,397 of friends, family, and volunteers. 332 00:17:36,687 --> 00:17:39,977 Brandy Gerstner: It was literally neighbors helping neighbors. 333 00:17:40,277 --> 00:17:42,817 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee chronicled this time on TikTok from her 334 00:17:42,817 --> 00:17:44,458 room at the extended stay. 335 00:17:44,657 --> 00:17:49,307 Wearing headphones, she sat in front of her phone camera and recapped each day. 336 00:17:49,427 --> 00:17:52,198 Sometimes her cat, Howard, would even make an appearance. 337 00:17:52,777 --> 00:17:56,608 Here she is talking about the fifth day after the flood, when 338 00:17:56,608 --> 00:18:00,097 search and rescue teams brought cadaver dogs onto their farm. 339 00:18:00,367 --> 00:18:01,778 Ashlee Willis: Today sucked. 340 00:18:02,907 --> 00:18:08,848 I don't know how to describe the sensation of, um, watching a 341 00:18:08,848 --> 00:18:11,588 cadaver dog signal on your property 342 00:18:13,856 --> 00:18:15,066 We still don't know who it is. 343 00:18:15,126 --> 00:18:17,556 It's, um, the debris is too thick. 344 00:18:17,636 --> 00:18:19,556 I think there might be a neighbor on our property. 345 00:18:20,036 --> 00:18:23,906 Kailey Hunt: By day 10, you can hear the exhaustion in Ashlee's voice. 346 00:18:24,256 --> 00:18:25,305 Brandy Gerstner: Cadaver dogs, 347 00:18:25,966 --> 00:18:31,486 Ashlee Willis: the coroner, the police, and an ambulance were all back again today 348 00:18:34,212 --> 00:18:34,592 I'm tired. 349 00:18:35,632 --> 00:18:37,442 Kailey Hunt: This is day 12. 350 00:18:37,982 --> 00:18:40,812 Ashlee Willis: We moved more trees, so many trees. 351 00:18:41,352 --> 00:18:43,842 I think we found the last missing man today, too. 352 00:18:44,622 --> 00:18:46,752 Kailey Hunt: Like you heard at the beginning of this episode, 353 00:18:47,122 --> 00:18:50,431 Ashlee said they found a hip and a leg on their property. 354 00:18:51,111 --> 00:18:54,862 Experts we talked to said that, unfortunately, finding 355 00:18:54,862 --> 00:18:58,561 human remains is not unheard of after a deadly natural disaster 356 00:19:05,422 --> 00:19:09,092 You might expect that when a disaster hits, the government will immediately 357 00:19:09,092 --> 00:19:10,552 be there to take care of you. 358 00:19:11,502 --> 00:19:15,071 But as I've learned talking to folks like Ashlee and Brandy, 359 00:19:16,012 --> 00:19:17,322 that's not always the case. 360 00:19:18,061 --> 00:19:20,722 To learn why, I gave Laura Milani a call 361 00:19:22,574 --> 00:19:23,294 Laura Mallonee: This is Laura. 362 00:19:23,604 --> 00:19:25,604 Kailey Hunt: Laura is a journalist based in Austin. 363 00:19:25,994 --> 00:19:30,584 Last summer, she wrote a story about Sandy Creek titled Flood of Doubt for 364 00:19:30,584 --> 00:19:34,993 Grist, a nonprofit media organization that reports on climate change. 365 00:19:35,793 --> 00:19:39,734 She first learned about the community through news reports and social media, 366 00:19:40,193 --> 00:19:43,893 and was struck by the fact that no one outside of the Austin area seemed 367 00:19:43,894 --> 00:19:45,383 to have heard about what happened. 368 00:19:46,043 --> 00:19:51,203 So 12 days after the flood, she went to a local church that was serving as a de 369 00:19:51,203 --> 00:19:53,814 facto operation center for volunteers. 370 00:19:54,404 --> 00:19:58,773 It was there that Laura said she hitched a ride with a volunteer on their golf cart. 371 00:19:59,333 --> 00:20:04,093 They drove to some of the worst hit areas, including Ashlee's neighborhood. 372 00:20:04,133 --> 00:20:06,993 Laura Mallonee: The young woman that I was riding with on the golf cart, 373 00:20:07,004 --> 00:20:11,634 she was pretty angry, you know, about all this, and she was complaining 374 00:20:11,634 --> 00:20:15,024 that the county had not been out there, that they hadn't seen anybody. 375 00:20:15,363 --> 00:20:17,683 Kailey Hunt: It was a sentiment Laura said she heard from a 376 00:20:17,684 --> 00:20:19,354 lot of people in Sandy Creek. 377 00:20:20,083 --> 00:20:22,763 Meanwhile, Travis County officials insisted they were 378 00:20:22,763 --> 00:20:24,813 doing everything possible to help. 379 00:20:25,513 --> 00:20:28,953 Laura Mallonee: Even though Travis County was deploying a lot of resources, 380 00:20:29,023 --> 00:20:33,623 they were, they weren't doing so in a way that, um, Sandy Creek residents 381 00:20:33,663 --> 00:20:38,544 were really hoping for, and that tracks with kind of a broader disconnect 382 00:20:38,553 --> 00:20:42,943 that tends to happen in unincorporated communities after disasters. 383 00:20:43,294 --> 00:20:46,723 Kailey Hunt: Laura said this disconnect between the amount of resources that 384 00:20:46,724 --> 00:20:52,263 are deployed versus what people expect is common among the 30% of Americans 385 00:20:52,263 --> 00:20:54,543 who live in areas like Sandy Creek. 386 00:20:55,224 --> 00:20:59,783 She said these unincorporated areas are especially vulnerable because they don't 387 00:20:59,783 --> 00:21:01,923 have a municipal government to rely on. 388 00:21:02,013 --> 00:21:05,813 Laura Mallonee: I talked to Michelle Meyer at Texas A&M's Hazard Recovery 389 00:21:06,093 --> 00:21:12,734 Center, and she said that, you know, after disasters, people tend to expect that the 390 00:21:12,734 --> 00:21:18,353 government will come in like a knight on a white horse, um, when in reality the, the 391 00:21:18,353 --> 00:21:20,483 government is a bare minimum safety net. 392 00:21:20,843 --> 00:21:24,204 Kailey Hunt: And that gap isn't limited to unincorporated areas. 393 00:21:24,453 --> 00:21:26,794 Jeff Schlegelmilch: In virtually every disaster situation I've, 394 00:21:26,833 --> 00:21:30,874 uh, been a part of or been exposed to, this is a common complaint. 395 00:21:31,074 --> 00:21:33,714 Kailey Hunt: This is Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of the 396 00:21:33,714 --> 00:21:37,463 National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University. 397 00:21:37,783 --> 00:21:41,783 Jeff said that disaster relief can be really cumbersome from an organizational 398 00:21:41,783 --> 00:21:46,203 standpoint since it can involve so many different federal, state, and local 399 00:21:46,213 --> 00:21:51,143 government agencies, as well as nonprofit and other private sector organizations. 400 00:21:51,583 --> 00:21:54,833 Jeff Schlegelmilch: We can see what an enormous task it is just to coordinate 401 00:21:54,833 --> 00:21:58,853 all this, and they're very sort of, uh, complex systems, a lot of checklists, 402 00:21:58,853 --> 00:22:02,373 a lot of forms for managing things like an emergency operations center to 403 00:22:02,374 --> 00:22:04,693 try to keep, keep everything moving. 404 00:22:04,904 --> 00:22:08,083 Kailey Hunt: Jeff's point became clear when I talked with Judge Brown about 405 00:22:08,083 --> 00:22:10,144 Travis County's response to the flood. 406 00:22:10,638 --> 00:22:14,898 Judge Andy Brown: It's a little amorphous to say count the county because these, 407 00:22:14,918 --> 00:22:20,848 this was a, a response that was led by the county, but involved FEMA, involved 408 00:22:20,857 --> 00:22:24,977 TDEM, involved private donors, and involved all those things, and that 409 00:22:24,977 --> 00:22:26,437 was all coordinated by the county. 410 00:22:26,697 --> 00:22:28,437 Kailey Hunt: And that coordination can take time. 411 00:22:29,038 --> 00:22:30,007 Here's Jeff again. 412 00:22:30,288 --> 00:22:32,497 Jeff Schlegelmilch: I think our expectations of what government can 413 00:22:32,497 --> 00:22:35,827 do are sometimes misaligned with, with how quickly they can actually move. 414 00:22:36,217 --> 00:22:39,178 Kailey Hunt: I asked Judge Brown what he would say to the families in 415 00:22:39,178 --> 00:22:42,917 Sandy Creek who thought that Travis County's response was inadequate. 416 00:22:43,138 --> 00:22:46,548 Speaker 13: Yeah, I, I, I don't disagree with their feelings at all. 417 00:22:46,548 --> 00:22:49,197 Their feelings are completely legitimate to feel that way. 418 00:22:49,947 --> 00:22:55,757 Um, at the same time, there were, uh, there was a massive response effort. 419 00:22:55,807 --> 00:22:57,637 These are called disasters for a reason. 420 00:22:57,647 --> 00:22:59,168 They are a disaster. 421 00:22:59,168 --> 00:23:03,747 They are a chaotic environment, and, um, the county's role in all of that is to 422 00:23:03,748 --> 00:23:06,127 help coordinate what is the response. 423 00:23:06,127 --> 00:23:11,270 So you might not see Somebody wearing a shirt that says, "I'm with Travis 424 00:23:11,270 --> 00:23:16,730 County," but you will see people from Mississippi searching for, uh, remains. 425 00:23:16,730 --> 00:23:21,169 You'll see people from H-E-B handing out goods, and all of those, all of 426 00:23:21,169 --> 00:23:27,659 that is part of the response and the relief effort, um, that happens when, 427 00:23:27,669 --> 00:23:29,619 when you have a mass disaster like this. 428 00:23:30,629 --> 00:23:32,989 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee and her family weren't just disappointed 429 00:23:32,990 --> 00:23:34,329 with the county's response. 430 00:23:35,050 --> 00:23:37,139 They were frustrated on many levels. 431 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:42,120 They did have flood insurance, which puts them in the minority in Sandy Creek. 432 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:47,270 Less than 4% of homeowners in the area have flood insurance, but 433 00:23:47,270 --> 00:23:50,600 they're in a dispute over how much insurance money they're going to get. 434 00:23:51,360 --> 00:23:54,609 They've applied for aid through FEMA, but their claim was denied. 435 00:23:55,169 --> 00:23:58,849 Brandi said they can appeal the decision, but the agency won't approve their 436 00:23:58,849 --> 00:24:02,210 claim until they've received payment from their flood insurance company. 437 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:07,549 FEMA did, however, partially cover the cost of their hotel stay, and 438 00:24:07,550 --> 00:24:12,419 Brandi's sister, Donna, was able to get help from FEMA, but it wasn't easy. 439 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:15,099 Ashlee Willis: The first thing they asked my Aunt Donna for when they met 440 00:24:15,099 --> 00:24:18,549 her on the property was proof of her identity, which makes sense, like, in 441 00:24:18,549 --> 00:24:21,680 an abstract way, but her entire house, they've never found any piece of it. 442 00:24:21,979 --> 00:24:22,599 I mean, it's gone. 443 00:24:22,599 --> 00:24:23,509 It's in Lake Travis. 444 00:24:23,519 --> 00:24:25,140 Like, everything she owns is gone. 445 00:24:25,769 --> 00:24:29,139 Kailey Hunt: Luckily, Donna's bank had a copy of her driver's license. 446 00:24:29,349 --> 00:24:32,499 She was able to get the maximum amount of individual assistance 447 00:24:32,509 --> 00:24:36,599 from FEMA, which is about $43,000. 448 00:24:36,599 --> 00:24:41,139 Brandi said this process is a lot to take on for disaster survivors. 449 00:24:41,519 --> 00:24:45,089 Brandy Gerstner: The amount of bureaucracy and paperwork and the 450 00:24:45,089 --> 00:24:49,230 requirements that they expect you to have receipts for this and proof 451 00:24:49,230 --> 00:24:51,093 of that, and it's- It's exhausting 452 00:24:51,093 --> 00:24:52,149 it's, it's so many pages. 453 00:24:52,149 --> 00:24:56,220 I mean, they're like 10 pages long to fill these things out, and for 454 00:24:56,229 --> 00:24:59,270 people who've just been through, you know, such a traumatic event, 455 00:24:59,589 --> 00:25:01,469 most of us had lost everything. 456 00:25:01,479 --> 00:25:04,089 Like, where are we gonna get this information from? 457 00:25:04,489 --> 00:25:08,729 Kailey Hunt: I asked a spokesperson for FEMA for a response to what Brandi said. 458 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:13,689 The spokesperson told me the agency doesn't comment on individual cases, 459 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:19,949 but that FEMA has allocated more than $268 million to flood recovery in Texas. 460 00:25:21,529 --> 00:25:25,439 Over time, Ashlee started to see herself not just as a resident of 461 00:25:25,439 --> 00:25:28,240 Sandy Creek, but also as an advocate. 462 00:25:28,719 --> 00:25:32,119 She wanted her family, her friends, her neighbors to be seen. 463 00:25:32,870 --> 00:25:34,759 She began meeting with county officials. 464 00:25:35,299 --> 00:25:39,120 This is Ashlee in a TikTok video 15 days after the flood. 465 00:25:39,309 --> 00:25:43,229 Ashlee Willis: I had a very late meeting tonight as a community leader of Sandy 466 00:25:43,230 --> 00:25:49,060 Creek with the county, and while no problems were actually solved, we're 467 00:25:50,079 --> 00:25:58,268 not gonna reinvent Rome in a day, uh, concerns were heard Make her heard 468 00:25:58,668 --> 00:26:01,648 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee was determined to get the word out about what the 469 00:26:01,648 --> 00:26:03,588 people in Sandy Creek had been through. 470 00:26:04,028 --> 00:26:09,278 So on July 23rd, she went to a legislative meeting about the floods in Austin. 471 00:26:10,908 --> 00:26:12,647 Senator Charles Perry: Senate Flood Committee on Disaster Preparedness 472 00:26:12,658 --> 00:26:13,577 and Flooding will come to order. 473 00:26:13,577 --> 00:26:14,438 Clerk will call the roll. 474 00:26:15,718 --> 00:26:16,618 Clerk: Chairman Perry? 475 00:26:16,788 --> 00:26:17,068 Senator Charles Perry: Here. 476 00:26:17,398 --> 00:26:20,088 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee went to share her family's story Senator Betancourt? 477 00:26:20,307 --> 00:26:23,258 But once she got there, she learned that the only people who could 478 00:26:23,258 --> 00:26:25,057 speak had to have been invited. 479 00:26:25,928 --> 00:26:30,578 The meeting lasted over 11 hours, but Ashlee said she didn't 480 00:26:30,578 --> 00:26:32,057 hear Sandy Creek mentioned. 481 00:26:32,718 --> 00:26:35,938 Ashlee Willis: And I'm like, "Okay." Uh, that made me angry. 482 00:26:36,358 --> 00:26:39,797 Kailey Hunt: Then Ashlee heard there was going to be another state hearing on 483 00:26:39,797 --> 00:26:43,167 July 31st, but this time in Kerrville. 484 00:26:43,527 --> 00:26:45,367 Ashlee Willis: Oh, we have to drive to Kerrville to be heard? 485 00:26:45,707 --> 00:26:46,958 You were just in Travis County. 486 00:26:47,428 --> 00:26:49,707 Like, okay, cool, cool, cool. 487 00:26:49,707 --> 00:26:51,007 So we made sure we got there first. 488 00:26:51,657 --> 00:26:53,767 We were the first people to sign up for public testimony. 489 00:26:54,198 --> 00:26:56,298 Kailey Hunt: You heard some of Ashlee's testimony at the 490 00:26:56,298 --> 00:26:57,668 beginning of this episode. 491 00:26:58,428 --> 00:27:01,617 Ashlee showed up with a list of suggestions for the committee. 492 00:27:02,077 --> 00:27:04,378 She wanted a real flood mitigation plan. 493 00:27:04,567 --> 00:27:05,868 She wanted rain gauges. 494 00:27:06,268 --> 00:27:08,848 She wanted someone to monitor the tributaries. 495 00:27:09,247 --> 00:27:11,857 She wanted standardized training and licensing for 496 00:27:11,857 --> 00:27:13,587 emergency management officials. 497 00:27:13,988 --> 00:27:16,367 She wanted access to temporary housing. 498 00:27:16,977 --> 00:27:20,947 She wanted water testing, and she wanted better emergency response 499 00:27:20,948 --> 00:27:22,977 coordination between agencies. 500 00:27:23,448 --> 00:27:27,517 The committee chair, Senator Charles Perry, thought those were good ideas. 501 00:27:27,787 --> 00:27:28,988 Senator Charles Perry: Those recommendations 502 00:27:28,988 --> 00:27:30,537 would be extremely helpful. 503 00:27:30,587 --> 00:27:34,807 Um, any written testimony that you can get to the committee the next week, if you can 504 00:27:34,808 --> 00:27:38,217 get them to the Capitol or get them to my office or Chairman King's office, either 505 00:27:38,238 --> 00:27:39,597 way, we'll make sure the members get them. 506 00:27:39,637 --> 00:27:40,347 Appreciate that. 507 00:27:40,797 --> 00:27:44,277 Kailey Hunt: For most of us, getting the government to take action is a long 508 00:27:44,277 --> 00:27:46,517 process that may not yield results. 509 00:27:46,707 --> 00:27:49,367 But Ashlee and the others that showed up to the state hearing 510 00:27:49,397 --> 00:27:50,857 were in a unique situation. 511 00:27:51,467 --> 00:27:54,298 They spoke to lawmakers, and bills were passed. 512 00:27:54,837 --> 00:27:59,767 Senate Bill 3 allocated $50 million for the installation of siren systems 513 00:27:59,787 --> 00:28:01,747 in flood-prone areas in Texas. 514 00:28:02,477 --> 00:28:06,978 Senate Bill 5 allocated around $300 million in disaster relief. 515 00:28:07,348 --> 00:28:10,617 Ashlee Willis: Two weeks later, I'm back at the Capitol discussing bills. 516 00:28:11,468 --> 00:28:13,778 Two or three weeks after that, they're signed by Governor Abbott, 517 00:28:13,778 --> 00:28:16,547 and I'm like, "Holy. What? Okay" 518 00:28:17,998 --> 00:28:21,218 Kailey Hunt: Other things Ashlee asked for, like better training for 519 00:28:21,218 --> 00:28:23,358 emergency managers, didn't pass. 520 00:28:24,048 --> 00:28:27,118 Of course, there were many people asking the legislature to take 521 00:28:27,128 --> 00:28:32,198 action, but for Ashlee, being heard like this was especially empowering. 522 00:28:33,108 --> 00:28:36,287 Ashlee and Brandye were not the only people in Sandy Creek who 523 00:28:36,287 --> 00:28:37,878 were advocating for the community. 524 00:28:38,658 --> 00:28:43,278 In August, members of the neighborhood, including Ashlee and Brandye, got together 525 00:28:43,278 --> 00:28:47,887 to form the Sandy Creek Alliance to fight for even more legislative changes. 526 00:28:48,787 --> 00:28:53,407 Then in November, the alliance delivered a petition with 600 signatures to 527 00:28:53,408 --> 00:28:55,557 Texas Governor Greg Abbott's office. 528 00:28:56,207 --> 00:29:00,218 They were asking for a permanent state disaster relief fund, which 529 00:29:00,218 --> 00:29:02,218 they call the Texas Forever Fund. 530 00:29:02,917 --> 00:29:06,378 If approved, this fund would disperse money directly to 531 00:29:06,378 --> 00:29:10,507 disaster survivors instead of to local governments or nonprofits. 532 00:29:11,367 --> 00:29:14,697 That same month, the alliance held a demonstration in front of the 533 00:29:14,697 --> 00:29:18,297 governor's home in hopes of drawing attention to the need for the fund. 534 00:29:18,957 --> 00:29:21,778 Brandye was one of the event's keynote speakers. 535 00:29:22,508 --> 00:29:27,167 Brandy Gerstner: It is our request that moving forward, that $500 million be 536 00:29:27,167 --> 00:29:32,867 granted to the Texas Forever Fund so that no future deve- disaster survivors 537 00:29:33,167 --> 00:29:37,678 go through the horror that we have and are still to this day struggling with. 538 00:29:37,678 --> 00:29:38,858 Brandye 539 00:29:38,858 --> 00:29:42,908 Kailey Hunt: and Ashlee also helped organize the Travis County Recovery 540 00:29:42,908 --> 00:29:47,707 Alliance, a coalition of faith-based groups, nonprofits, and county partners. 541 00:29:48,038 --> 00:29:51,147 The goal is to make sure that people in Travis County can get the 542 00:29:51,148 --> 00:29:53,067 help they need after a disaster. 543 00:29:53,577 --> 00:29:55,207 Here's Judge Brown talking about it. 544 00:29:55,288 --> 00:29:59,237 Speaker 13: It's not led by the county, but it will be an important asset in all 545 00:29:59,237 --> 00:30:04,187 future disasters because we'll already have that communication among those 546 00:30:04,197 --> 00:30:07,697 folks already set of how that goes. 547 00:30:07,877 --> 00:30:10,948 Kailey Hunt: And Ashlee and Brandye aren't just advocating locally. 548 00:30:11,397 --> 00:30:14,567 In December, they traveled to Washington, D.C. with a group 549 00:30:14,568 --> 00:30:18,037 called Organizing Resilience, which is made up of climate disaster 550 00:30:18,038 --> 00:30:19,888 survivors from across the country. 551 00:30:20,447 --> 00:30:23,287 Ashlee Willis: I think the most fascinating part, um, like when we went 552 00:30:23,288 --> 00:30:26,107 to D.C., 95 disaster survivors- Mm-hmm 553 00:30:26,117 --> 00:30:30,187 um, across 10 states and Puerto Rico, earth, air, wind, fire, every version of 554 00:30:30,188 --> 00:30:33,787 a disaster that- Yeah … you could think of were represented, and the aftermath 555 00:30:33,787 --> 00:30:35,217 is exactly the same for everybody. 556 00:30:35,608 --> 00:30:36,967 It, nothing- It doesn't matter … is different. 557 00:30:36,977 --> 00:30:38,577 Nothing works. 558 00:30:38,787 --> 00:30:41,138 Kailey Hunt: They went to the nation's capital to speak against 559 00:30:41,138 --> 00:30:43,118 the possible downsizing of FEMA. 560 00:30:43,548 --> 00:30:44,418 This is Brandye. 561 00:30:44,798 --> 00:30:48,938 Brandy Gerstner: We are calling for FEMA to be an independent, fully 562 00:30:48,947 --> 00:30:55,587 funded, and far more robust system, not weakened, not politicized, but 563 00:30:55,597 --> 00:31:02,207 strengthened because when FEMA cannot fully function, real people pay the price. 564 00:31:02,847 --> 00:31:07,887 What happened in Sandy Creek cannot be allowed to happen again 565 00:31:10,094 --> 00:31:13,234 Kailey Hunt: That was a bit hard to hear, but Brandy basically said 566 00:31:13,244 --> 00:31:17,784 that people like herself will suffer consequences if FEMA is downsized, 567 00:31:17,924 --> 00:31:22,203 and the Trump administration has been doing just that, significantly reducing 568 00:31:22,204 --> 00:31:24,164 the agency's funding and workforce. 569 00:31:24,844 --> 00:31:28,884 The administration recently recommended changes to the way FEMA functions 570 00:31:29,254 --> 00:31:33,034 that could shift more responsibility for disaster recovery to states. 571 00:31:33,733 --> 00:31:38,230 Some of these changes would need to be approved by Congress No 572 00:31:38,230 --> 00:31:42,070 one is more surprised by their advocacy work than Brandy herself. 573 00:31:42,310 --> 00:31:46,450 Brandy Gerstner: I mean, at 65, I never dreamed I'd be working as an activist to 574 00:31:46,450 --> 00:31:48,429 try and reform the government, seriously. 575 00:31:48,430 --> 00:31:49,040 Yeah, you are. 576 00:31:49,230 --> 00:31:50,910 I'm a retired nurse. 577 00:31:51,260 --> 00:31:55,540 I was so, uh, you know, public speaking and all of this was not my gig. 578 00:31:55,550 --> 00:31:57,110 Ashlee Willis: High school me is so proud of me right now. 579 00:31:57,180 --> 00:31:58,899 She's like, "Yeah, you go bully the government." 580 00:31:59,249 --> 00:32:01,960 Kailey Hunt: This work, Ashlee says, has also brought them 581 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:03,330 closer to their community. 582 00:32:03,569 --> 00:32:05,679 Ashlee Willis: That's my favorite part of this entire story. 583 00:32:05,749 --> 00:32:05,830 Mm-hmm. 584 00:32:05,830 --> 00:32:08,319 Like, you don't move this far out in the country to get to know your neighbors- 585 00:32:08,329 --> 00:32:09,129 Seriously … you know what I mean? 586 00:32:09,620 --> 00:32:12,790 Um, and then the flood takes all of your trees away, and all of a sudden 587 00:32:12,790 --> 00:32:15,239 you're like, "Howdy, neighbor," from across the creek, you know? 588 00:32:15,749 --> 00:32:18,339 Um, it's really brought us together. 589 00:32:18,350 --> 00:32:18,379 Mm-hmm. 590 00:32:18,390 --> 00:32:21,249 Like, aside from political differences, like, you know, like we 591 00:32:21,249 --> 00:32:23,079 all suffered this trauma together. 592 00:32:23,739 --> 00:32:27,339 And, like, to say that Sandy Creek is a community now, like if you would've asked 593 00:32:27,819 --> 00:32:29,539 13-month-ago me, I would've laughed. 594 00:32:30,089 --> 00:32:33,189 Kailey Hunt: This community that Ashlee talks about, it's not just 595 00:32:33,210 --> 00:32:34,989 good from a vibes perspective. 596 00:32:35,559 --> 00:32:37,329 It also may help them in the future. 597 00:32:38,109 --> 00:32:42,960 Jeff Schlegelmilch told me that people often view disaster preparedness as having 598 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:44,899 enough food or water to sustain them. 599 00:32:45,129 --> 00:32:48,099 Jeff Schlegelmilch: But I should note that the strongest predictor of 600 00:32:48,100 --> 00:32:52,189 how communities and how individuals do after a disaster is actually 601 00:32:52,189 --> 00:32:56,579 social capital and social cohesion, how connected we are to each other. 602 00:32:57,089 --> 00:32:59,959 Kailey Hunt: Things like backyard barbecues and block parties with 603 00:32:59,960 --> 00:33:02,199 your neighbors, they're important. 604 00:33:02,390 --> 00:33:05,239 Jeff Schlegelmilch: So communities that are very connected horizontally, this is 605 00:33:05,239 --> 00:33:09,389 neighbors helping neighbors, tend to have much stronger health and mental health 606 00:33:09,390 --> 00:33:11,449 outcomes in the aftermath of a disaster. 607 00:33:11,739 --> 00:33:12,950 We check in on each other. 608 00:33:12,950 --> 00:33:14,279 We, we uplift each other. 609 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:17,179 We look out for each other, and that is a very measurable impact. 610 00:33:17,570 --> 00:33:20,659 Kailey Hunt: That's playing out in real time in Sandy Creek. 611 00:33:21,409 --> 00:33:23,999 Ashlee Willis: Those garlic beds over there, right, those were donated. 612 00:33:24,109 --> 00:33:24,129 Yeah. 613 00:33:24,129 --> 00:33:25,349 It was a surprise for Mom and Dad. 614 00:33:25,869 --> 00:33:29,489 And we come home, and it's the communists, the socialists, three men 615 00:33:29,489 --> 00:33:32,999 in a MAGA hat, a dude in a kilt, and a priest that all did that work together, 616 00:33:33,030 --> 00:33:34,220 and then they had a beer afterwards. 617 00:33:34,229 --> 00:33:36,949 Brandy Gerstner: For two days, they worked together, and they all ended up 618 00:33:36,949 --> 00:33:41,709 friends because literally we are all human beings down here, and when push 619 00:33:41,710 --> 00:33:45,450 comes to shove, every- We show up for each other … we, yeah, we're, we're there. 620 00:33:45,530 --> 00:33:49,260 The needs get met, and people come together, and politics and 621 00:33:49,260 --> 00:33:52,139 garbage just go, go goodbye. 622 00:33:52,769 --> 00:33:55,389 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee and Brandy may have lost a lot, but they 623 00:33:55,399 --> 00:33:57,420 don't wanna move from Asher Acres. 624 00:33:57,720 --> 00:33:59,899 They wanna stay on their family's property. 625 00:34:00,509 --> 00:34:02,069 Ashlee Willis: We've been here for 36 626 00:34:02,069 --> 00:34:02,220 Brandy Gerstner: years. 627 00:34:02,220 --> 00:34:02,600 30, right, yeah, 628 00:34:02,610 --> 00:34:04,170 Ashlee Willis: we've got- My grandparents passed away here. 629 00:34:04,199 --> 00:34:05,320 Grandma passed away here. 630 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:08,150 Like- Yeah … I'm gonna take care of Mom and Dad until they pass away here, 631 00:34:08,150 --> 00:34:10,820 and I'm gonna have to bribe one of my nieces or nephews to take care of me. 632 00:34:10,830 --> 00:34:11,490 It'll be fine. 633 00:34:12,140 --> 00:34:14,510 Kailey Hunt: Rebuilding is easier said than done. 634 00:34:14,970 --> 00:34:19,639 That's because in 2019, Travis County adopted new rules for building 635 00:34:19,669 --> 00:34:21,580 in certain flood-prone areas. 636 00:34:22,209 --> 00:34:25,889 The new rules require residents to elevate the bases of new residential 637 00:34:25,890 --> 00:34:30,129 structures: in other words, build homes that are lifted off the ground. 638 00:34:30,893 --> 00:34:32,413 And that can be expensive 639 00:34:32,683 --> 00:34:34,464 Ashlee Willis: It's like 80 to $100,000, like- 640 00:34:34,464 --> 00:34:36,424 Brandy Gerstner: Just for the base- The steel structure 641 00:34:36,424 --> 00:34:37,883 before you can even start building your home. 642 00:34:38,323 --> 00:34:41,463 Kailey Hunt: And even though they want their property to be safer, the 643 00:34:41,464 --> 00:34:43,533 cost was almost too much for them. 644 00:34:43,703 --> 00:34:46,623 Brandy Gerstner: My first response is there's gotta be a way around this. 645 00:34:46,933 --> 00:34:46,963 Mm-hmm. 646 00:34:46,973 --> 00:34:47,373 There is. 647 00:34:47,743 --> 00:34:50,413 You know, and how can they tell me how to build? 648 00:34:50,813 --> 00:34:54,653 Why can't on my property I choose to take the risk? 649 00:34:54,753 --> 00:34:56,323 It's a Texas property- Texas property are people 650 00:34:56,743 --> 00:34:59,343 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee said they do plan on following the rules. 651 00:34:59,433 --> 00:35:02,583 Ashlee Willis: But we also need to be working on what's causing that problem. 652 00:35:02,644 --> 00:35:06,964 It can't be left up to the people who have suffered catastrophic losses to 653 00:35:06,964 --> 00:35:09,453 be the only one that's doing anything to make the world a safer- Correct 654 00:35:09,453 --> 00:35:10,343 place where they are. 655 00:35:10,353 --> 00:35:13,134 Like, there needs to be systemic changes made, and that's 656 00:35:13,134 --> 00:35:14,413 the frustrating part for me. 657 00:35:15,083 --> 00:35:17,913 Kailey Hunt: Ashlee and Brandy had yet to break ground on their new homes 658 00:35:17,913 --> 00:35:19,823 when Dominic and I visited in May. 659 00:35:20,183 --> 00:35:23,233 They were still living in their campers on the farm, and Brandy 660 00:35:23,234 --> 00:35:25,293 told us they were not the only ones. 661 00:35:25,603 --> 00:35:28,343 Brandy Gerstner: I think it's important that people understand that 662 00:35:28,343 --> 00:35:32,743 there's still so many people who are out here that are still homeless, 663 00:35:32,743 --> 00:35:34,673 living in campers and trailers. 664 00:35:34,723 --> 00:35:39,793 Um, there's still a great need for funds for a lot of these people. 665 00:35:40,144 --> 00:35:44,354 Um, you know, people, all the news and everybody's here, and, you know, it's a 666 00:35:44,364 --> 00:35:47,064 big deal for, you know, burst of time. 667 00:35:47,533 --> 00:35:50,574 Um, but this disaster is still just that. 668 00:35:50,603 --> 00:35:52,643 It, people need help. 669 00:35:53,103 --> 00:35:57,964 Kailey Hunt: Of the 115 properties in Travis County affected by the flood, only 670 00:35:57,964 --> 00:36:00,773 two have been fully rebuilt or repaired. 671 00:36:01,743 --> 00:36:05,194 And a recent survey showed that half of the survivors of last 672 00:36:05,194 --> 00:36:08,883 year's flood in Texas said they felt abandoned by government. 673 00:36:13,816 --> 00:36:16,656 Dominic Anthony Walsh: Next time on After the Flood, it's been a year. 674 00:36:16,926 --> 00:36:21,786 Is Central Texas any safer, any more protected than it was last year? 675 00:36:21,926 --> 00:36:26,416 Mark Rose: If all of the rest of this work isn't done, then, you 676 00:36:26,416 --> 00:36:31,615 know, your, your legacy of sirens is gonna bite you in the butt someday. 677 00:36:32,085 --> 00:36:33,836 Dominic Anthony Walsh: This episode was written by me, Kately 678 00:36:33,956 --> 00:36:35,436 Hunt, and Elizabeth McQueen. 679 00:36:35,876 --> 00:36:37,805 Our editor was Elizabeth McQueen. 680 00:36:38,255 --> 00:36:43,035 Anna Campbell is our executive producer, and Elizabeth McQueen is our producer. 681 00:36:43,355 --> 00:36:47,735 Our editors at Frontline are Aaron Texeira and Mia Zukercandl. 682 00:36:48,146 --> 00:36:53,305 Our music is by Rene Chavez and APM, and our audio producers are Casey 683 00:36:53,306 --> 00:36:55,795 Cheek, Jake Perelman, and Matt Largey. 684 00:36:56,065 --> 00:36:59,795 Our multimedia editor is Deborah Cannon, and Michael Menassi 685 00:36:59,806 --> 00:37:01,656 is our multimedia producer. 686 00:37:02,126 --> 00:37:06,496 Our fact-checker is Ana Alvarado, and our attorney is Thomas Leatherberry. 687 00:37:07,005 --> 00:37:11,886 Erin Geisler oversees our marketing, and our cover was designed by Maile Carballo. 688 00:37:12,396 --> 00:37:15,755 Corey McClagan is the executive editor of the Texas Newsroom. 689 00:37:16,135 --> 00:37:20,626 The Texas Newsroom is a collaboration among NPR and the public radio stations 690 00:37:20,636 --> 00:37:25,925 in the state, including Houston Public Media, KUT in Austin, Texas Public Radio 691 00:37:25,925 --> 00:37:29,145 in San Antonio, and KERA in North Texas. 692 00:37:29,565 --> 00:37:33,166 This project received editorial and financial support from Frontline's 693 00:37:33,615 --> 00:37:37,165 Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the John S. 694 00:37:37,195 --> 00:37:38,966 and James L. Knight Foundation.