Regional Recovery Team Assists More Than 1,600 Families Following 2015 Floods

“Central Texas needs to remain ready for long-term recovery action following whatever the next disaster is,” Hays County Director of Emergency Services Kharley Smith said.

Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – The executive director of the Blanco River Regional Recovery Team (BR3T) told the Hays County Commissioners Court Tuesday that after assisting more than 1,600 families affected by the May and October 2015 floods, only four families remain to be helped.

The BR3T is the four-county, non-profit, long-term recovery program put into place following the Memorial Weekend Flood of 2015, and is serving as a model for long-term recovery programs in other areas of Texas.

Executive Director Trey Bell thanked the Court, the citizens of Blanco, Caldwell, Guadalupe and Hays counties, elected officials and emergency management coordinators, and the many volunteer organizations, individual volunteers, and donators from all over the world who assisted residents following the May and October 2015 floods. Court members echoed his thanks to those who gave of their time, talent and money.

The BR3T has raised more than $400,000 for families to repair their homes, and thanks to volunteers, saved more than $308,000 in labor costs.

With the four remaining families expected to be helped by the end of June, the BR3T will wind down its current programs, but intends to remain open to prepare for the next disaster, according to Earl Bolls, president of the BR3T Board of Directors.

“Central Texas needs to remain ready for long-term recovery action following whatever the next disaster is,” Hays County Director of Emergency Services Kharley Smith said. “Recovery from a major disaster takes years, and once a team like BR3T is in place, it is critical that it stay operational and ready to function. The sooner long-term recovery begins, the sooner a family, a subdivision, a town, or a county gets back to normal.”

BR3T board member Mike Jones, who also serves as Hays County’s Local Health Department Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, told the Court that the BR3T is already planning fundraisers for the next disaster.

To learn more about the BR3T, or to donate, visit www.BR3T.org or call 512-677-9701.

Photo Attached

Left to right: Precinct 2 Commissioner Mark Jones, Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe, BR3T board member and Hays County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Mike Jones, Hays County Director of Emergency Services Kharley Smith, BR3T Board of Directors President Earl Bolls, BR3T Executive Director Trey Bell, Hays County Disaster Recovery Specialist Denise Treadwell, Precinct 3 Commissioner Lon Shell, and Precinct 4 Commissioner Ray Whisenant.