Nearly a year after floodwaters destroyed their home along the Upper Guadalupe River, Juliet and Scott Welden watched construction crews build a new one on the same property.
This time, the house was elevated 8 feet above the ground in hopes that it can withstand another catastrophic flood.
“We watched the water enter our home, and the floors buckled,” Juliet Welden said. “The furniture floated. Rooms began collapsing, and the water kept rising.”
The force of the current pushed the couple out of their house. They survived by clinging to a large bush as the flood tore through their neighborhood.
At least 130 people died along the Upper Guadalupe River after torrential rain struck the Texas Hill Country during the Fourth of July holiday. The Weldens’ rebuilding effort has been supported by federal disaster assistance and contributions from churches, foundations and other community organizations.
“The local community — there’s a lot of love, compassion, kindness, generosity,” she said, adding that churches and private groups often provided the most immediate assistance.
The Weldens expect to move into their new home in October.
Less than 100 miles away, survivors along Sandy Creek describe a much different recovery.
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