Family Recounts Decades of Guadalupe River Floods and Home Destruction

A Lifetime on the Guadalupe River

• 🏡 The Chapens family lived in their Kerrville home on the Guadalupe River for 64 years, from 1960 to 2024.
• childhood memories include swimming, fishing, and camping along the river, which was a happy time for them.

Devastating Flood Events

• ⚠️ The family experienced significant floods in 1978 and 1987, impacting their lives and business.
• 1978 flood forced the closure of their washeteria business, and subsequent floods caused significant emotional distress and paranoia.
• The most recent flood caused unprecedented devastation, surpassing previous events and leaving their home with about 6 feet of water.

Loss and Warning

• 💔 The family's homestead, which once included 2.5 acres of riverfront property, is now destroyed, with even 100-year-old cypress trees toppled.
• Despite the deep love for their home, Olivia Chapens acknowledges the inherent hazards of living by the river.
• ⚠️ Olivia offers a warning to others: the Guadalupe River is beautiful but also hazardous, and complacency can lead to disaster.