Tammy Prout

Standing in the middle of a brand new neighborhood that did not exist before last summer's devastating flood, community leaders gathered Thursday at Habitat for Humanity Kerr County's Mariposa subdivision to announce a milestone that few dared predict in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic July 4, 2025 flood: more than 130 households have already returned to stable, permanent housing, with nearly 100 more actively working toward that same goal.

Community members, faith leaders, first responders and flood survivors filled Louise Hays Park on Sunday evening for a solemn gathering called "Prayer in the Park," a spiritual preparation for the approaching one-year anniversary of the catastrophic July 4, 2025, flood that claimed 119 lives in Kerr County and left a trail of destruction across the region.