Elderly Texas Couple Rebuilds After 2025 Flood, Only to Face Another Deluge

In July 2025, the Guadalupe River flood devastated Kerr County, killing at least 119 people and forcing 82-year-old Joan Connor and her 99-year-old husband to flee their home by holding onto a front-yard pergola. They returned by Christmas, restoring the house with donated furniture and volunteer decorators, convinced another flood was unlikely in their lifetimes. Exactly a year later, the residence was submerged again, adding fresh hardship to a community still grieving.

The episode illustrates findings from a May investigation and one outlet, which showed Texas lawmakers ignored dozens of opportunities over nearly 60 years to adopt stricter elevation and siting rules, leaving the state behind most others in flood-risk regulation. Although a new law relocated youth camp cabins after the 2025 Camp Mystic tragedy, broader building-code reforms remain stalled, allowing homes in federally identified flood zones to be repaired without meeting higher standards. Governor Greg Abbott’s office points to mitigation funding rather than regulatory change, while residents like Connor and neighbor Laura Cane plan to rebuild despite ongoing danger, reflecting deep ties to the region and limited alternatives.