‘Texans helping Texans': Disaster relief teams deploy to help those in Uvalde

Disaster relief teams plan to serve meals, help clean damaged homes and remain as long as needed.

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is preparing to deploy disaster relief volunteers to Uvalde to help residents recover from devastating flooding.

The deployment was delayed by one day because of rain, but crews are now expected to head to Uvalde on Saturday.

For Disaster Relief Director Scottie Stice, the mission is personal.

“These events are Texans helping Texans,” Stice said.

Stice said he and his family lived in Uvalde for 11 years, making the community especially meaningful to him.

“We lived in Uvalde for 11 years. Great little town, South Texas, the hunting, all that appeals to me. And, we had some flooding while I was there, but nothing [like] what they're going through right now. So it's tough to watch that and not be there at the same time,” Stice said.

When volunteers arrive, their first priority will be preparing meals for survivors. Stice said crews expect to prepare about 1,300 meals on the first day, with production increasing in the days that follow.

The organization is working in support of the Salvation Army Texas Division, based in Arlington.

“So we will [be] preparing, first day, about 1,300 meals and our numbers will go up after that. We are working in support of the Salvation Army Texas Division based in Arlington. And we'll do what we can to get meals out. Uvalde is split in half right now, so we're kind of concerned about how we'll be able to reach the whole community,” Stice said.

In addition to feeding survivors, volunteers will help residents clean out flood-damaged homes as they begin the recovery process and prepare for repairs.

Many of the volunteers also responded to the deadly Hill Country flooding last year and are returning to help once again.

“Of course, last year was tough with the loss of life, but the flood event itself was, they're veterans at that. They can handle that. But the loss of life is still fresh on everyone's minds,” Stice said.

The volunteers plan to remain in Uvalde for at least seven to 10 days. Officials said they will reevaluate the situation and stay longer if additional assistance is needed.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.