Flood victims from July’s Hill Country floods finally have an answer on federal help, and this time it’s a yes. FEMA Individual Assistance is now available in 20 Texas counties, including Bexar, Kerr and Uvalde, after Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week that the state’s appeal had been approved. FEMA had denied the original request in September. The program covers temporary housing, emergency home repairs and other disaster-related expenses, so anyone who was turned away before should look at it again.

At the same time, recovery crews are thinking about the next flood, not just this one. The San Antonio Botanical Garden’s TREES initiative aims to restore 50,000 native trees along the Guadalupe River, and volunteers planted the first 1,000 Thursday morning in San Antonio. Organizers timed the work so young trees can establish roots before the next flood season. As Katherine Trumble of the Botanical Garden explained, young trees are bendy and often bend and pop back up when high water comes through, though some will need replacing. The effort is expected to continue over five years.

For Waxahachie, it’s a reminder of how much our region depends on watershed health and neighborly follow-through. Whether it’s a courthouse square after a storm or a riverbank under repair, the rebuilding is done by people who show up.

Know someone in one of the 20 covered counties? Have they reapplied since September?

Ask them, then share this post with them.