Businesses large and small also sprang into action to help the community. Grocery chain H-E-B, which started in Kerrville, one of the cities affected by the floods, has been donating food and supplies through the Red Cross. San Antonio-based fast-food chain Whataburger said it would provide meals to first responders.

Devyn Smith clung to a tree as muddy, debris-laden water rushed beneath her. She was ripped more than 15 miles from where she and five of her family members had set camp the night before.

More than 100 people have been confirmed dead since July 4, when the Guadalupe River in central Texas swelled overnight and triggered flash floods that swept through an area known locally as “Flash Flood Alley.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday ordered state legislators to convene a special session on Monday as the death toll rose to at least 120 people and 172 reported missing in Fourth of July flooding in the Hill Country.

The situation evolves daily. Several nonprofit groups that have arrived said they plan to remain on the ground for the next few weeks, providing physical, emotional, and spiritual support.

This part of Texas is one of the most flood-prone areas in the entire world. Here’s a look at some of the region’s worst floods on record.

In Kerr County, Thad Heartfield is leading nearly 100 volunteers searching for flood victims. For him, this mission is personal. His son and three of his son's friends disappeared in the flood.

Historic flash floods swept across central Texas and left at least 81 dead. Authorities are searching for those still missing, including 10 children and a counselor from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls' camp at the edge of the Guadalupe River. USA TODAY readers have lots of questions about the flooding, as well as the recovery efforts.