Fastest and most flexible support: Disaster recovery and relief experts highlight benefits of monetary donations for Hill Country flooding victims

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Texans are urged to give monetary donations to aid Hill Country flood recovery.

HOUSTON — Texans are answering the call to help after devastating flooding swept through parts of the Hill Country — but officials say there’s a more effective way to support the recovery efforts: monetary donations.

In the days following the flooding, agencies like the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments expressed gratitude for the outpouring of donated supplies. However, they’re now urging people to shift their focus toward monetary contributions to better meet evolving needs on the ground.

“Since Saturday morning, we’ve been out in all the locations that we can get into, serving meals, providing hydration, supporting the first responders, supporting search and rescue efforts, and of course, talking to and meeting with the families that have been affected,” Alvin Migues, Director of Disaster Services for The Salvation Army of Texas, told KHOU 11 in an interview. 

Migues says people are still grappling with the catastrophic disaster that has killed more than 100 people, with more than 160 still missing as of Tuesday afternoon.

“People don’t really know where they need to go, what they need to do yet,” Migues said. “They’re just in such shock.”

But he added that the outpouring of support in the form of donations has been overwhelming. Migues said primary needs have been for cleaning and hygiene supplies. He added that clothing donations have been more than enough and organizations like his are in need in monetary support to better help the victims in need.

“It’s time to kind of turn that tap off and focus on how we can be specific about the people’s needs,” Migues said. “That’s probably going to be through some financial assistance.”

Diana Zarzuelo, vice president of community impact at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, echoed that message.

“Often, cash donations are the fastest and most flexible support during the immediate recovery phase,” she said. “Financial gifts are critical because they allow communities the flexibility to support survivors in the way they need, based on real-time data and input from those communities.”

But as more people turn to online giving, experts stress the importance of donating wisely.

Leah Napoliello with the Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston advises researching any charity before donating and making sure it is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity.

“If you do donate online, you want to make sure that the site is secure, that it has the ‘s’ after the ‘http’ in the web address, there’s a lock on the browser, so if you were to provide any payment information, any personal information, it would be secure and not exposed.”

Donate to help the Hill Country flooding victims

In the wake of deadly flash floods across central Texas, our station’s parent company, TEGNA, announced the creation of the TEGNA Texas Flood Relief Fund.

The fund, which is accepting donations now, will raise dollars to support the ongoing and long-term response to the flash floods that began on July 4 in and around Kerr County, Texas. Several non-profit organizations are working around the clock to provide support to first responders, residents, and families impacted by floods.

More information can be found here.