After the Flood

About After the Flood

In the early morning hours of July 4th, 2025, floodwaters tore through the Texas Hill Country. At least 130 people died, many of them children. For the last 12 months reporters from The Texas Newsroom have been talking to people about what happened that night and what it’s been like in the aftermath. This podcast is about their stories and the questions they have. Why did this happen? How could this happen with almost no warning? And could it happen again?

Publisher

The Texas Newsroom

Category

news · society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 May 2026

Latest episode

8 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

7 of 8 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   8 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Introducing: Where the River Took Us

   Host [Host Name] explores the complex realities of disaster survival in Central Texas during the July 4th floods.

2. 

   31 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   The Flood After the Flood

   Local official [Official's Name] discusses community preparedness and resistance to change following devastating Texas floods in this interview.

3. 

   22 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   A Note on Episode 5

   Host/Producer Emily R. Coleman discusses how a second flood forced a pivot in the final episode of "After the Flood," exploring preparedness and information dissemination.

4. 

   15 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Feeling Forgotten

   Ashlee Willis and Brandy Gerstner share their story of loss and unmet expectations after the devastating Sandy Creek flood, revealing the community's struggle for support.

5. 

   8 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Who, When, Where…and Now What?

   Matthew Childress and other Camp Mystic families advocate for stronger summer camp regulations in Austin, sharing their journey after tragedy.

6. 

   1 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   A Place Where Memories Are Made

   This episode explores the Hill Country's beauty and vulnerability to flash floods, examining its history and resident responses.

7. 

   24 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   The Day Of

   Matthew Childress and Wendie Childress share their harrowing experience of their daughter's disappearance during a devastating flood, an interview detailing survival.

8. 

   22 May 2026

   Introducing: After the Flood

   Reporters from The Texas Newsroom explore survivors' harrowing experiences and urgent questions following the July 4th flood, uncovering the 'why' and 'how' of the disaster.

Inside a recent episode

Introducing: Where the River Took Us

Published 8 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Oh yeah, absolutely. This is my stepmom, Alex. Because when you buy the house, you see that it was in the floodway. It was called the floodway. I'm not sure then I understood what the floodway meant, but the house was on piers and we were four feet above the flood line. The Guadalupe feels like a really lazy river. It's extremely peaceful and calm and slow moving. But they call this area Flash Flood Alley. It's because of the likelihood for thunderstorms that'll bring a lot of rain at once, and the rocky hills that catch the rain and funnel it right down into the river. A lot of folks remember a flood that happened here early one morning in July of 1987. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

110 ratings