Before hundreds of first responders and volunteers from around the country came to help, it was the local residents of Texas Hill Country who faced down a deadly wall of water along the Gaudalope River and witnessed terrifying scenes.

Along the Guadalupe River, the water rose quickly, flooding homes and businesses and leaving behind a path of destruction that locals say is the worst the area has ever seen.“It’s just the magnitude of it is

As floodwaters from the Guadalupe River begin to recede, the emotional and physical toll on Hill Country residents is only just beginning to show.