Williamson County outlines flood recovery operations; disaster fund crosses $700,000 as FEMA assistance begins

Williamson County emergency management and the Central Texas Community Foundation updated the commissioners Tuesday on response and long-term recovery following the July 5 severe flooding event, reporting early federal registrations, local relief operations, volunteer labor and private donations.

Bruce Clements, director of Williamson County Office of Emergency Management, said the county had shifted from immediate response to a long-term recovery phase. The county opened a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Georgetown that, as of his update, had registered about 120 families for FEMA assistance and logged 13 applications for SBA loans. The DRC was scheduled to operate through Aug. 10.

Clements also described a three-day Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) operated with nonprofit partners that aided roughly 100 families with food, water, cleaning supplies, gift cards, housing referrals, medical and mental-health referrals, debris-removal help and document replacement. “There was 1 woman who came in who had been displaced by the flood. She was also a victim of domestic violence. ... she left with a safety plan,” Clements said, describing nonfinancial services coordinated at the MARC.

Amy Merida, executive director of the Central Texas Community Foundation, reported on Wilco Cares, a relief fund established to direct donations to county residents with catastrophic flood losses. Merida said in-county and out-of-state foundations and lead donors had contributed; a $100,000 lead gift from Todd and Sherry Nelson of Kalahari launched the campaign. “The good news is that we are over 700,000,” Merida said; she added there were an additional $100,000 in match commitments and a goal to reach $1 million for immediate distributions. Merida said organizers expect a much larger long-term need and that a $5 million pool would likely still fall short for county-wide catastrophic needs.

Commissioners noted extensive volunteer engagement and agency assistance. Clements read a list of state, regional and local agencies, volunteer groups and municipal partners that contributed resources and personnel, including local fire departments, the Red Cross, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM), the Lower Colorado River Authority and many church and volunteer groups. County staff said some days saw more than 1,500 volunteers assisting debris clearance and other recovery tasks.

Commission action and reimbursements: The court approved activation of the county’s catastrophic-event pay policy for exempt (salaried) employees who worked significant hours during the flood response. Julie Kiley, county auditor, told the court a federal disaster declaration had been received and that FEMA reimbursement for eligible overtime would be about 75%, leaving the county responsible for 25% of those costs. The commissioners voted to approve compensating exempt employees under the catastrophic-event pay policy for the pay period July 4–17, 2025, with overtime paid at each employee's straight-time rate; the motion carried 5-0.

Merida said Wilco Cares planned to vet applicants and use an impartial review process for grant distributions, and that organizers were finalizing a geographic footprint to focus funds on areas of catastrophic damage. She said the foundation had received offers of donations ranging from small gifts to multi-thousand-dollar lead gifts, and described efforts to coordinate with neighboring Travis County and other relief funds for nearby flooded areas.

Ending: Commissioners thanked emergency responders, volunteers and partner organizations and encouraged donations to Wilco Cares. Merida noted a planned benefit concert (Aug. 17) that could generate substantial fundraising for regional relief efforts.