By Dr. Jamie Freeny, Director, Mental Health America of Greater Houston

When disaster strikes, the damage isn’t only measured in homes lost or roads destroyed, it’s written in the emotional wounds carried by survivors, especially children. This truth is painfully clear in Kerrville, Texas, where devastating flooding from July 4–7 claimed 107 lives, including 37 children. As the community begins to rebuild, mental health must be treated as a core component of disaster recovery, not an afterthought.

Beyond the Storm: Mental Health is a Public Health Priority

The tragedy in Kerrville echoes hard-learned lessons from Hurricane Harvey. After Harvey, mental health needs were often sidelined while physical infrastructure took precedence. That delay came at a cost: increases in PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance use, especially among children and caregivers.

This time, we must respond differently. Kerrville’s recovery must integrate mental health support from the outset by embedding crisis counselors into emergency response teams, expanding telehealth access, and training schools, churches, and community partners to recognize and respond to trauma.

Understanding Trauma in Children

Children who lived through the Kerrville flood are carrying invisible scars. Many are now afraid of water, not just swimming pools, but baths, rain, even handwashing. Others flinch at the sound of thunder, struggle with nightmares, or withdraw emotionally. These are not signs of defiance; they are symptoms of trauma.

Some children are grieving the death of loved ones. Others have lost their homes, pets, or routines that anchored their sense of safety. Their grief may appear as irritability, regression, or silence. Most won’t say “I’m traumatized.” They’ll say, “I can’t sleep,” or “I’m scared when it rains.”

To support them:

• Normalize their feelings (“You were scared—your body remembers”).
• Reintroduce water gradually, using play and storytelling.
• Offer trauma-informed therapy through schools, churches, and telehealth.
• Train trusted adults such as parents, teachers, coaches in mental health training.

Caring for Caregivers and First Responders

The emotional toll doesn’t stop with children. Adults across Kerrville are navigating profound grief and stress. Parents, caregivers, and community members face heightened risks of depression, PTSD, substance use, and even suicide in the wake of such loss. First responders are also vulnerable to secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout.

We can respond by:

• Facilitating virtual and in-person support groups.
• Promoting free or low-cost therapy sessions.
• Expanding peer support programs for emergency personnel.
• Ensuring rest, debriefing, and rotation for frontline workers.

Building a Trauma-Informed Recovery

True recovery requires more than short-term solutions. We must move from crisis response to a long-term mental health infrastructure that is trauma-informed, community-rooted, and equitable. Based on lessons from Harvey, Kerrville and those supporting Kerrville can:

• Coordinate across sectors by creating a Kerrville Recovery Collaborative linking schools, health providers, faith groups, and youth organizations.
• Leverage trusted messengers like pastors, barbers, and teachers to reduce stigma and share resources.
• Identify needs early with brief mental health screeners at shelters, clinics, and schools.
• Expand the workforce by training Community Health Workers and peer support specialists.
• Secure sustainable funding for long-term trauma recovery—not just crisis response.

Mental health symptoms often emerge weeks or even months after a disaster. Without support, these symptoms can harden into chronic conditions. But with the right interventions, healing is possible. As we rebuild Kerrville’s roads and homes, we must also rebuild its sense of safety, connection, and hope. Because healing doesn’t happen overnight but with the right care, it does happen.