Just two weeks after celebrating the grand opening of her dream business, AJ Nelson watched as catastrophic flooding destroyed her new hair salon in Ingram, a city in Kerr County, Texas.
Nelson’s Vintage Hair Co., which opened on June 21, was among the countless properties damaged when unprecedented flooding struck Kerr County on July 4, claiming at least 95 lives and leaving more than 170 people missing.
“The community itself is still in shock. I know I am,” Nelson told ABC News. “This is overwhelming. Nothing like this have I ever seen living here.”
Despite losing her business, Nelson immediately stepped up to help her community. A former member of the Ingraham Volunteer Fire Department, she returned to assist with emergency response efforts.
“When I woke up Friday morning and couldn’t get to my business, my reaction was to call and say, ‘What do you need me to do?'” Nelson explained. “Staying busy has helped me get through this.”
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As the community begins to recover, Nelson faces difficult decisions about rebuilding. While her landlord is already working to restore the building, removing mud and bleaching the structure down to its studs, questions remain about insurance coverage and future flood risks.
“I fully intend on staying with my landlord,” Nelson said. “But there are some concerns about whether insurance will cover us again, and whether this could ever happen again in my lifetime.”
The devastating floods have sparked discussions about improving the region’s flood warning systems. The Texas Legislature is now considering this issue as part of an upcoming special session, with Gov. Greg Abbott including flood-related measures among his priority agenda items.
MORE: Texas flood: Kickoff meeting for Kerr County warning system project had been planned for mid-July
When asked about the warning system debate, Nelson remained thoughtful.
“I think a flood warning system would be a good choice,” she said, adding, “Moving forward, there will be measures, one way or another, to protect our community.”
The flooding, which dumped as much as 15 inches of rain in some areas, has become one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent Texas history, particularly impacting Kerr County, where 36 children were among those who lost their lives.
