Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Check back later today for updated story links and audio.
Officials in Kerrville begin to assess damage as floodwaters recede
The devastation in Kerr County is still being tallied, and the road ahead is long.
Texas Tribune reporter Eleanor Klibanoff has been in Kerrville speaking with residents and officials and joins the Standard with the latest:
‘My favorite place in the entire world’: Camp Mystic inspired generations of Texas women
Camp Mystic, a 99-year-old Christian girls camp, sits along the banks of the Guadalupe River – directly in the path of deadly flooding. Many campers are still unaccounted for.
The Texas Newsroom’s Paul Flahive reports on the deep cultural imprint of this storied summer camp.
Health risks linger even after the floodwaters drop
Contaminated water, mosquito-borne illnesses, and piles of debris are raising new concerns in flood-affected areas.
KUT’s Mose Buchele, who covers energy and the environment, joins us with more on the risks.
Dozens of pets separated from owners in the Hill Country floods
As families work to recover, animal welfare advocates are scrambling to care for displaced pets. Austin Pets Alive! CEO Ellen Jefferson tells us about the massive rescue effort now underway to reunite animals with their owners.
How to save precious items damaged by floodwater
Waterlogged photo albums, soaked books, blurry documents: Before you throw them away, there are some steps you can take.
Rebecca Elder, a cultural heritage preservation consultant and adjunct professor at UT Austin, shares advice for salvaging irreplaceable memories.
Remembering Jane Ragsdale, a fixture of Texas summer camp culture
Jane Ragsdale, co-owner of Heart O’ the Hills Camp, died in the Kerr County floods at the age of 68.
KERA’s Penelope Rivera brings us a remembrance of a beloved leader in the Hill Country summer camp world.
Camp Mystic mourns longtime director Dick Eastland
Among the victims of the Kerrville flooding: 70-year-old Dick Eastland, director of Camp Mystic.
The Texas Newsroom’s Blaise Gainey reports on Eastland’s legacy and the impact of a tragedy felt deeply across generations of Texas families.
All this, plus the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas.
