CENTER POINT, Texas – One month after the catastrophic Texas Hill Country Flood swept through Kerr County, the physical damage may be fading, but for local businesses, the financial pain is just beginning.
In the small towns that dot Kerr County, including Center Point, Comfort, Hunt, Ingram and beyond, tourism is the backbone of the economy. And in the wake of the 4th of July flooding, that backbone is buckling.
“We started seeing the influx of first responders and of course it warmed your heart, but it was also so sad seeing those folks had to... witnessed the things they witnessed,” said James Guidry, who owns an Airbnb in Center Point with his wife, Janet. “It was emotional there for us for a while.”
A Quiet Summer in the Hill Country
The Guidrys run a modest rental they call the Tiny Oasis at Hugging Oaks Ranch. It’s a 200-square-foot guesthouse known as a “tiny home” and it’s surrounded by deer, foxes and the sound of wind in the trees. It’s the kind of peaceful escape visitors from Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas typically flock to in summer.
But not this year.
“Within about the first week we started seeing the cancellations,” said James. “We had quite a few bookings and we started seein’ cancellations and then we just started, no one was bookin’.”
Before the flood, the couple expected about 20 bookings through the end of the year.
“We have one. We have one, yeah. We have that’s hanging in there and hasn’t canceled yet,” James said.
Those missing tourists aren’t just skipping a stay, they’re skipping dinners out, wine tastings, and boutique shopping.
“When people stay away, it impacts these little mom and pop businesses especially,” he said.
Comfort Feels the Pressure
In Comfort, the Ivankovich family owns Singing Water Vineyards. The vineyard itself wasn’t damaged, but the economic fallout has been brutal.
“Foot traffic is down across our entire area,” said co-owner Andy Ivankovich. “When people heard of the floods in Kerr County, they obviously thought that the entire Guadalupe was flooded out… and so people just naturally stayed away.”
Their annual July 5th celebration, a massive event with fireworks, food and live music, was canceled the day before it was scheduled.
“We had close to 3,000 people that were planned to be out here,” Andy said.
“It should have been a $100,000 weekend for us, and it was close to zero, pretty close to 0,” added Missy Ivankovich.
Business Owners Take the Lead
Despite the hit, the Ivankoviches turned to helping others.
“We cooked off all the sausages that we had for the fireworks,” Andy said. “The entire town came out. We were wrapping it for all the first responders.”
They also began hosting benefit concerts.
“This concert and the previous one, we raised $10,000. Tonight is hopefully another $10 thousand,” Andy said. “So far we hit 68 businesses in Comfort with $2,500 each.”
In a region still recovering from COVID-era shutdowns, many businesses were already fragile.
“These businesses are just clawing their way back from the impact of COVID,” James said. “And now they’re hit with another horrible tragedy… We do think there’s going to be some that don’t make it.”
Community Collaboration Is Growing
A new initiative in Comfort is giving local businesses a fighting chance.
“Visit Comfort TX is getting a revitalization,” said Missy. “Eight to 10 businesses are coming together to say, let’s throw our marketing dollars together and start with a cohesive message so that we’re all saying the same thing.”
That message is super clear: Comfort is open for business.
“We still have wine and flatbreads and beer to sell,” she said. “We were not wiped off the face of the earth—we are still here, we’re still operating.”
Looking Toward Fall
With fall foliage season on the horizon, businesses are hoping the momentum can shift.
“September, October is usually some of our best months,” Andy said. “Our hope at least is that folks will come out and won’t forget Comfort and enjoy the area once again.”
But the urgency is real. First responders and disaster crews are expected to leave town by October, according to information provided to KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding.
“When they leave, these businesses that depend on tourism… they are going to start seeing the big drop-off in business,” James said. “Matter of fact, some of them are.”
How to Help? Come Visit.
The ask from locals is simple: skip the donation drive, and come spend a weekend.
“What I would like to see you do is take a deep breath and give us a month or two, maybe three,” James said. “And then come up here and visit these businesses that need your money, that need to see your faces.”
“These guys need—they’ve been through a lot—and they need to have some bright, shiny faces showing up and enjoying the area too.”
In the Texas Hill Country, the wine is still flowing. The scenery is still stunning.
And the welcome? Maybe warmer than ever.
