In the aftermath of catastrophic flooding in central Texas that killed at least 82 people over the Fourth of July weekend, Texas state Rep. Wes Virdell told Newsmax on Monday that donations to local relief organizations are "very much appreciated" and will help keep first responder efforts on the ground going.
Virdell told "Wake Up America" that rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing in Kerr County, Texas, where the Guadalupe River swelled 26 feet in just 45 minutes in the early morning hours of Friday. The flash flooding swept away summer camp cabins, homes, and recreational vehicles that were located along the river's banks.
Asked what the hard-hit area currently needs most, Virdell said, "Prayers, as always, but finances are going to help."
The Texas Republican said the county has been "blessed" with the resources people have already sent in the wake of the tragedy and stressed the importance of donating to local organizations to assist the flood victims.
"We've been very blessed with a lot of people have already been sending a ton of supplies," he said. "People have come down with equipment. We probably have more people than our roadways can handle right now. So we need to also make sure that we keep those roads open for emergency crews, but we've been very blessed with the resources that local communities, Texas, and even outside of Texas have provided us already."
People looking to help those in the area can donate to the Cross Kingdom Church in Kerrville, Virdell said, which accepts donations via PayPal, Venmo, or Stripe on its website. Donors should note in a description that they wish for their funds to be used for relief efforts.
"That will help a lot, and it is very appreciated," he said. "I was, even last night, out till 1:00 in the morning. My brother's a cop here, and they were going through debris trying to see if they could find anything. It is hard to believe until you can see in person what happened here."
Virdell reported that the church has also started a relief fund via Venmo @crosskingdom77.
President Donald Trump is planning to visit the devastated area later this week, and Virdell said that the residents "really appreciate that the president is coming down."
"We know the president cares a lot about this country, as you can see from everything he's done since taking office, and so, we're glad he'll be here," he said. "We just want to thank him for taking this very serious and for coming. Hopefully, federal resources will come in also to help out on top of all the state resources that we have right now."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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