When floodwaters rushed into a Kerr County home last week, a disabled Navy veteran did not hesitate. Gilbert Zamora loaded his grandfather, his mother, his wife and their two young sons into the family SUV, drove them to higher ground, then turned around and went back for a neighbor. By the time the water receded, the house was soaked, much of the family’s belongings were ruined, and neighbors were already organizing a fundraiser to help them start over.
Zamora said he knew something was off when he heard the pounding rain and checked a security camera. “I saw my son’s power wheels floating across the yard,” he told reporters. His wife, Chantal, said water “started pouring in through” a doggie door as the creek swelled, and the couple made the fast call to bundle everyone into the SUV and get out, according to News 4 San Antonio.
How the rescue unfolded
Once his family was safe on higher ground, Zamora sprinted back through the rising water to help his neighbor’s father-in-law. He ran barefoot, breaking a toe in the process as he pulled the man away from the surge. “He’s just clinging on to the side of the house,” Zamora recalled. The family also lost two vehicles in the flood, including his grandfather’s 1981 Chevy pickup, when the creek overflowed.
In the days since, friends and a local contractor have been pitching in to pump out water and tear out damaged materials from the home, News 4 San Antonio reports.
Wider flood threat in the Hill Country
The Zamoras’ ordeal unfolded against a backdrop of heavy rain across the Hill Country. The National Weather Service issued multiple flood statements and warned of major rises on rivers including the Frio this week, according to the National Weather Service.
River stages and flash-flood risks remained elevated, and shelters and relief efforts were standing up for displaced residents, according to The Texas Tribune.
How to help the Zamoras
A GoFundMe has been organized on the family’s behalf. The campaign organizer says donations will go toward replacing essentials, rebuilding the home and caring for disabled grandparents. Community foundations and statewide relief funds are also collecting donations and sharing information about shelter and recovery options for flood-impacted Texans.
For the Zamoras, the hard, muddy work of cleanup is just beginning. Neighbors say the veteran’s quick moves almost certainly saved lives, and the close call is one more reminder of how fast a Hill Country storm can turn from routine rain into a dangerous situation for riverside communities.
