PSL members across Texas are fundraising to gather and distribute aid, as well as coordinate necessary cleanup efforts in areas affected by the July 4th flash floods.
On the night of July 3 and into the morning of July 4, Kerr County, Texas, experienced 10 to 15 inches of rain in just a few hours. This led to the flooding of the Guadalupe River and other bodies of water. In Hunt, where the Guadalupe River forks, the water rose 22 feet in just 2 hours. Other counties, such as Burnet County, Kendall County, Tom Green County, Travis County, and Williamson County, experienced extreme flooding. Over 100 people have died and dozens are still missing across the region, making this one of the deadliest floods in the US in the last 100 years.
The loss of life has been exacerbated by inadequate flood warnings and evacuation notices, along with a lack of resources for people to evacuate.
Funds raised will be used for the following, although the list may change as we investigate the damage and needs of our neighbors in Central Texas further. Clean up materials (rakes, gloves, trash bags, etc) Bottled water Baby supplies Shelf-stable food supplies Batteries Gas for transporting volunteers and supplies And more as needed
We will be collecting physical donations of materials at two locations: Austin Liberation Center: 501 Pedernales St #1-B, Austin, TX 78702 San Antonio Liberation Center: 2404 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78202 Please refer to our social media (@psl.atx, @pslsatx, @pslsmtx) for more information about physical donation needs and drop-off times.
We are volunteer organizers with the Party for Socialism and Liberation(PSL) in Texas. The PSL is a nationwide organization of people who fight every day in our communities and workplaces for the rights of working-class people. Our organization has a history of acting in times of crisis and environmental disaster – whether in response to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, fires in Los Angeles, or flash flooding in Texas.
Texans deserve a system that actually puts resources towards infrastructure that can withstand severe weather and flooding, city planning that takes climate change and disasters into account, and the development of public education around these climate-related crises. When we see our government abandon working people to die, as socialists, we have a duty to do whatever we can to help.
Donated, flash floods are terrifying even compared to hurricanes.