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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, First responders from across the nation made |
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extraordinary efforts to save lives and assist in recovery efforts |
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in the wake of the flash floods that devastated the Texas Hill |
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Country in July 2025; and |
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WHEREAS, In the early hours of the morning on July 4, heavy |
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rains pummeled the Texas Hill Country and flooded the Guadalupe |
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River, with one section in Hunt cresting at 37.5 feet; the raging |
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torrent engulfed parts of Kerr County before continuing downstream, |
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and devastating flooding also took place in other areas in Central |
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Texas; hundreds of people were swept away in the storm; more than |
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135 lives were lost as a result of the flooding, making the disaster |
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the sixth-deadliest freshwater flood in U.S. history; and |
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WHEREAS, Local and regional first responders quickly |
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mobilized to aid communities that were impacted by the storm; law |
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enforcement officers with the Kerr County Sheriff's Office, the |
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Kerrville Police Department, and other agencies throughout the area |
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bravely placed themselves in harm's way to conduct welfare checks |
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and respond to service calls in the flood zones; numerous |
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firefighters helped with search and rescue efforts, including Fire |
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Chief Michael Phillips of the Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire |
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Department, who tragically lost his life during a rescue attempt on |
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July 5; moreover, numerous Bexar County Emergency Service Districts |
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deployed boats, drones, ambulances, and technical personnel, and |
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the San Antonio Fire Department sent water rescue teams, medical |
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personnel, and an ambulance bus to assist in the field; and |
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WHEREAS, To support the flood response, the Texas A&M |
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Engineering Extension Service formed two task forces with swift |
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water rescue boat squads, urban search and rescue specialists, and |
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specially trained cross-disciplinary teams; statewide rescue |
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operations also utilized boats, helicopters, vehicles, and trained |
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personnel provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the |
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Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Highway Patrol, and the |
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Texas National Guard; and |
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WHEREAS, At the national level, the U.S. Coast Guard made |
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invaluable contributions to rescue efforts, with one of the |
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agency's swimmers, Scott Ruskan, helping to rescue approximately |
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165 people via helicopter deployments; the U.S. Department of |
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Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency |
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mobilized federal urban search and rescue assets as well as |
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logistical coordination, and the National Aeronautics and Space |
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Administration deployed aircraft through its Disaster Response |
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Coordination System; and |
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WHEREAS, A number of other states aided Texas by sending |
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vital resources such as search and rescue teams and K-9 units; among |
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the groups that provided interstate assistance were Colorado Task |
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Force 1, which sent 48 members, the Arkansas National Guard, which |
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sent 22 personnel, and the Louisiana Swift Water Rescue team, which |
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sent 14 specialists; help also came from Alabama, Arizona, |
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California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, |
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Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, |
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New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, |
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South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin; in addition, |
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K-9 teams were provided by Fundación 911 in Acuña, Mexico, and an |
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urban search-and-rescue team from the Czech Republic; and |
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WHEREAS, More than 2,000 individuals joined the coalition of |
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volunteers to help with rescues, debris removal, supplies and food |
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distribution, and other forms of community assistance; officials |
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also directed volunteers to organizations such as the Salvation |
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Army, the American Red Cross, and local churches; and |
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WHEREAS, Texans are profoundly grateful for the selfless and |
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courageous individuals who went above and beyond to aid flood |
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victims, and all those who contributed to the relief effort are |
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deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby honor the first responders |
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who have provided aid to those impacted by the Texas Hill Country |
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floods and extend to them sincere appreciation for their actions. |