After a weekend of deadly flash floods in central Texas, Rabbi Yossi Marrus of Chabad of Boerne, Texas, spent Monday driving between fire stations. The closest Chabad to the flood zone, he’s been checking on Jewish families in the area, and providing supplies for local first responders after the flood damaged numerous trucks and fire houses — be it refrigerators or new gear. 

“Yesterday it was socks,” he told eJewishPhilanthropy on Monday afternoon. 

Chabad of Boerne is among several Jewish organizations responding after the Guadalupe River swelled over 26 feet in under an hour early Friday morning, killing at least 90 people and devastating areas of Kerrville and neighboring Texas counties. 

“It’s kind of like a war zone,” said Marrus. “The devastation is very, very real. It’s really terrible.”

Shalom Austin — a hub of Jewish life in Austin, Texas, consisting of a Jewish federation, JCC, Jewish family service and Jewish community foundation — launched an emergency fundraising campaign in the wake of the crisis. Within less than 24 hours the campaign raised over $70,500, according to the umbrella organization. 

“The funds will provide urgent relief and recovery for those affected by the recent Central Texas flooding,” the statement said.

At least one Jewish family, the Eliashars, were rescued by a neighbor in the predawn hours of Saturday as the flood waters reached their house in Jonestown, on the shores of Lake Travis. The mother, Crissy, was home with their three children and one of their friends who was sleeping over — all under the age of 12 — while their father was working an overnight shift in Austin. “The family was rescued in the dark by a brave neighbor who woke them up, just before the house, their car, and everything they owned were washed away,” according to a fundraising campaign that was launched over the weekend and has so far raised nearly $94,000. 

With support from local Jewish organizations and Chabad Lubavitch headquarters, Marrus has been checking on the roughly 120 Jewish families Chabad is aware of in Texas Hill Country. As the situation continues to develop, case managers from Shalom Austin’s Jewish Family Service are also working to identify the community’s needs, according to a statement.

In the immediate aftermath of the flood, Marrus’ Chabad has been purchasing supplies and providing emotional support to first responders. But with rescue efforts still ongoing, it will take time before there is full clarity on what support is needed, he added. 

“We’re still in the stage where there’s just a lot of chaos,” he told eJP. “In the coming days and weeks, we’re going to be able to do a lot more… Right now, wherever we are, we see crews with chainsaws, cutting down trees, trying to clear the area. So again, we’re just trying to be attentive to what it is that they may need from us.”

Dozens remain unaccounted for as search and rescue teams continue to scour the area. At least 11 of those still missing are campers and staff members from Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp in Kerr County where at least 27 have already been confirmed dead from the flood. 

The tragedy has ricocheted throughout the camping world, with many Jewish camps issuing statements of support and assessing their own weather protocols in the aftermath. Two nearby Jewish camps — the Union for Reform Judaism’s Greene Family Camp and Camp Young Judaea Texas — were not hit by the flood as they are located on higher ground.

“As a camp community that knows how deeply these places shape our lives, we grieve with those who are suffering and stand in solidarity during this unimaginable time,” Ruben Arquevich, vice president of camps at URJ, said in a statement. “We remain in close contact with local authorities who guide us on weather and safety to help protect our camps and communities.”

The Foundation for Jewish Camp also issued a statement of solidarity. “The tragedy at Camp Mystic and the heartbreaking deaths of beloved camp leaders Jane Ragsdale of Heart O’ the Hills and Dick Eastland of Camp Mystic have reverberated through the camping world,” the organization said. “To the communities impacted, we want you to know: You are not alone. Across the country, Jewish camps, leaders, alumni and families are holding you in our thoughts and prayers.”

Israeli leaders have also voiced their sympathies for the flood. “On behalf of the people of Israel, I extend my deepest condolences to all the people of Texas, to Governor Greg Abbott, a true friend of Israel who stood with us in our darkest hour, and to all the families mourning unimaginable loss, especially of young children at summer camp,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement.