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Texas Volunteers Urged Not to Self-Deploy Amid Flood Rescue Efforts
A week after Central Texas flash floods, organizers urge volunteers to register with relief groups — not "self-deploy" — as search and rescue efforts continue.
Published July 12, 2025 at 11:48pm
A week after flash floods ravaged Central Texas, organizers urge volunteers to register with official relief groups rather than "self-deploy" into affected areas as search and rescue efforts for several missing people continue.
Volunteers have flocked to help in admirable displays of community spirit. Still, on a partly sunny Saturday under a flood watch, dozens of volunteers overwhelmed a site near the Round Mountain Baptist Church outside of Leander, forcing traffic to a standstill as emergency personnel actively searched for missing people.
"We can't stress this enough, don't self deploy," said Marc Corinth, an organizer with Hill Country United Relief, a newly formed grassroots organization.
Corinth and Mille Mckell, both with Hill Country United Relief, are coordinating volunteers around the clock to ensure safety and efficient help. However, though well-meaning, the surge of unregistered volunteers threatens the privacy of ongoing search zones and of residents reeling from the destruction, they said.
"We need you to be part of an organization." Mckell said. "We have to stay clear of the federal people while they're doing their searches, and all this congestion is not helping the situation right now."
They warned that children, individuals in improper attire and those unfamiliar with safety protocols can put themselves and others at risk. Traffic slows down as people stop to look at the destruction or take photos, which can delay first responders and search volunteers, and street parking shrinks the already narrow road, Corinth said.
"There's a lot of pandemonium and chaos, and it draws people in. But please understand, this a marathon, not a sprint," Corinth said. "The needs are unending, and they're going to be there for a while."
A former insurance claims adjustor, Corinth estimates repair can take from 3 months to a year.
The total assistance required will probably last for years as people rebuild, said Alistair Perumal, public information officer for Austin Disaster Relief Network, an organization with over 200 churches, non-profits, and business partners. Perumal said the organization does not yet know how many people have been displaced, and is working on collecting data and establishing needs.
The Texas Department of Emergency Management officially invited the Austin Disaster Relief Network to assist with managing the response Thursday evening. Leander Fire Chief Billy Wusterhausen has also been guiding volunteers to sign up through the Austin Disaster Relief Network, he said.
"I certainly understand the desire to help our neighbors," Wusterhausen said during a news conference Friday. "However, when we are in those emergency situations and we are in those emergency response modes, we encourage people to stay out of there. Some of the activities, depending on what we're doing in there could actually make it worse in our recovery efforts or in our search efforts."
How to safely help in Texas search and rescue efforts
However, there are ways to help safely. First, prospective volunteers should register with a trusted organization – such as the Ark of Highland Lakes, Austin Disaster Relief Network or Hill Country United Relief – before arriving on site. Registration ensures everyone is accounted for, prevents duplication of efforts and allows coordinators to assign tasks efficiently, Mckell said. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and must follow the guidance of relief organizers, state officials and National Guard personnel.
On its website, Austin Disaster Relief Network posts daily needs, from call-center operators and coordinators to skilled and unskilled labor for demolition.
Perumal urges people to check the list daily, as short-term, mid-term and long-term needs evolve. Heavy machinery is currently clearing large-scale debris, and soon volunteers will be needed to door-knock and survey specific recovery needs.
"The recovery is going to be significant and long term," he said. "Once we've identified how many people need homes rebuilt, items replaced, and that's just physical items."
Financial contributions remain crucial, particularly gift cards to Home Depot, H-E-B and Walmart, as well as wagons to help the recovery effort, Perumal said. Clothes and household goods will be welcomed later, he added, once displaced families have space to store them.
Long-range walkie-talkies, safety vests, and big wagons are needed for volunteers, organizers said. Veterinarians are needed to care for cadaver dogs aiding search teams, and additional trained dogs are required to prevent overheating and fatigue.
Volunteers should prepare for rugged terrain by wearing closed-toe shoes, long pants and, when possible, reflective vests.
"There are snakes, there's lots of debris and nails, and there's dangerous areas, " Mckell said.
'All I want to do is help'
Mckell said the organization will notify volunteers when additional help is needed. As they brace for a lengthy recovery and rebuilding process, Corinth and Mckell hold on to hope to endure.
After completing initial demolition and debris removal at Shady River and GoodWater RV parks in Georgetown, both broke down under the heaviness of what they had witnessed. They recalled finding stuffed animals strewn in the dirt, survivors combing debris for "one last photo of memories," and totaled RVs packed away that once were people's homes. But they also thought of the people who came to help, of their gratitude for the massive swaths of people who still want to help.
"What was really touching is to see how we all pull together as a team, to unite and to do what we can," Mckell said.
On one of the last days in Georgetown, Corinth encountered an 11-year-old boy who had survived the flooding when his RV was destroyed.
"He’s the same age as my son, looked a lot like my son," Corinth recalled, tearing up. "We talked, and he had this really uplifting spirit, and he was telling me a little bit about what it was like to live there. And I said, ‘What can I do to help make your day better?’ He looked at me, said, ‘Mr. Marc, all I want to do is help."
The boy’s only pair of shoes left was a pair of Crocs. But when a volunteer from H-E-B brought over child-sized rubber work boots, his face "lit up." With the parents' permission and Corinth’s guidance, he did.
"I can only imagine what it's like to lose your whole life in a split second, and all he wanted was boots," Corinth said. "That's the people we're helping."