Deadly Texas floods hit close to home for co-host Morgan Chesky

Summary

"Deadly Texas Floods Hit Close to Home for Co-Host Morgan Chesky" – Here's the Scoop Summary

Release Date: July 7, 2025
Host: NBC News – Yasmin Dasugian

---

1. Overview of the Texas Flood Disaster

In this poignant episode of "Here's the Scoop," NBC News dedicates the entire show to the catastrophic floods that devastated Kerr County, Texas. Yasmin Dasugian introduces the severity of the situation, highlighting the unexpected deluge where "four months' worth of rain fell in just a couple of hours" (00:19). The Guadalupe River, a central feature of the community, "surged and tore through homes and businesses, even a girls' summer camp," resulting in at least 88 fatalities and numerous missing persons (00:19).

---

2. Personal Connection: Morgan Chesky’s Hometown Tragedy

The flood strikes a deeply personal chord for co-host Morgan Chesky, as it unfolds in his hometown. Yasmin emphasizes the dual impact: "it is such an incredible loss of life, especially of kids in Texas," and the tragedy's proximity to Morgan's personal life—his childhood experiences camping by the river and his mother's residence just 50 feet away (00:19).

---

3. Emotional Testimony from Morgan's Mother

Morgan’s mother shares her heartfelt experience, conveying the emotional turmoil of witnessing a disaster that hits home. At [01:31], she remarks:

"When one [disaster] hits home, it feels like the first tragedy you've ever experienced. I think I'm processing everything like so many other people."

Her narrative paints a vivid picture of the suddenness and brutality of the flood. She recounts receiving multiple urgent text messages about the flood, leading to a frantic day spent ensuring her family's safety and grappling with the grim reality of missing loved ones (02:13).

---

4. The Community’s Deep Roots and the Impact of the Flood

Morgan’s mother elaborates on the community’s close-knit nature and the historical context of flooding in the area. She nostalgically describes the Guadalupe River as an integral part of Kerrville's identity:

"People flock to the hill country so they can get on the Guadalupe River. You float it, you camp along it... It's almost kind of like living near a volcano. It can be beautiful at times... until it's not."

Despite flash floods being a known hazard, the magnitude of the recent event eclipses past experiences, including the significant 1987 flood that claimed ten lives (04:48).

---

5. Firsthand Account of the Flood’s Aftermath

Morgan’s mother provides a vivid recount of her journey to the affected areas. At [05:12], she describes encountering a kayak "wrapped around a branch" of a cypress tree, symbolizing the overpowering force of the floodwaters. This haunting image underscores the devastating power of the surge that transformed the once-idyllic river into a destructive force (05:12).

---

6. Stories of Lives Lost: A Community Mourns

The episode delves into the heartbreaking loss of community members, illustrating the profound personal connections within Kerrville. Morgan’s mother shares specific stories:

• Rene Maestrala: A young girl and daughter of a high school classmate, whose death profoundly affects those who knew her (07:28).

• Jane Ragsdale: A beloved camp director at Heart of the Hills camp, whose last moments involved warning others about the rising waters. Her brother, Jeeper Ragsdale, emphasizes her dedication:

  "She made it to the couch and then sent him a text message that said, essentially, the river's coming down. Look out. And that was the last he heard from her." (07:28)

• Dick Eastland: The owner of Camp Mystic, renowned for his unwavering commitment to the campers. His grandson poignantly reflects on his legacy:

  "If his granddad wasn't going to die of natural causes, it would only be trying to save the lives of the girls he looked after like family." (08:30)

---

7. The Unfolding of the Flood: A Timeline of Destruction

Morgan Chesky narrates the sequence of events leading to the disaster. At [13:13], he describes how initial weather alerts progressed to alarming floodwaters rising from one foot to approximately twenty-five feet within half an hour:

"It came up. It must have been about 25ft up." (13:51)

Amidst the chaos, glimpses of dread—such as a car floating with all lights on—signaled the severity of the situation, compelling Morgan and his family to evacuate to safety (14:09).

---

8. Aftermath and Community Rebuilding

In the wake of the flood, Morgan reflects on the extensive damage witnessed upon returning home. The landscape was unrecognizable, with uprooted trees and widespread debris (15:13). He underscores the community's resilience:

"We're a resilient bunch and I think people will rebuild... Hopefully, there will be a greater understanding of the need to respect the power of that river." (18:11)

Despite the tragedy, there is a collective determination to heal and restore the beloved river that is central to Kerrville’s identity (17:25).

---

9. Conclusion: A Call for Reflection and Support

Yasmin Dasugian concludes the episode by expressing gratitude for Morgan and his family’s brave coverage of such a personal and tragic event. She extends heartfelt sympathies to the affected community and emphasizes the enduring strength of those impacted (18:38).

"Our hearts are with you right now in dealing with this tragedy. Please continue to stay safe out there." (18:38)

---

Key Takeaways

• Human Impact: The flood's devastation is magnified by its direct impact on Morgan Chesky’s family and the tight-knit community of Kerrville.

• Resilience and Rebuilding: Despite the immense loss, there is hope and determination within the community to rebuild and honor the memory of those lost.

• Respecting Nature's Power: The tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable and destructive potential of natural disasters, urging a deeper respect and cautious interaction with nature.

---

This episode of "Here's the Scoop" not only informs listeners about the tragic events in Kerr County but also offers a deeply personal and emotional perspective, highlighting the human stories behind the headlines.

Transcript

[Morgan Chesky]

If you went on a road trip.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

And you didn't stop for a Big.

[Morgan's Mom]

Mac or drop a crispy fry between the car seats or use your McDonald's bag as a placemat, then that wasn't a road trip.

[Morgan Chesky]

It was just a really long drive.

[Morgan's Mom]

Ba da ba ba ba at participating McDonald's.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Hey everybody. Yasmin Dasugian here for here's the scoop from NBC News Today. We're devoting our entire show to the devastation in Kerr county in Texas. We're doing this for two reasons. First, because it is such an incredible loss of life, especially of kids in Texas. And second, because it happened in my co host Morgan Chesky's hometown. He camped on that river as a kid and his mom lives just 50ft away from it. We're going to hear from her a little bit later on. But Friday was supposed to be the start of a holiday weekend by the river. Everything changed though when four months worth of rain fell in just a couple of hours. The Guadalupe River. Locals know it as the Guadalupe surged and tore through homes and businesses, even a girls summer camp. Families were caught off guard. Emergency responders performed 850 high water rescues. At least 88 people were killed and many more are still missing. Questions remaining about whether the emergency alert system did its job. My co host Morgan Chesky is on the ground for us now in his hometown. He's sitting down at his mom's kitchen table the first time really being able to process everything that he's been covering for the last couple of days. Morgan, how are you doing?

[Morgan's Mom]

I appreciate that question more than you know, and I'm gonna do my best to answer without getting emotional here. But Yaz, you know, we're in the job of covering disasters to a certain degree and we've seen so many. And yet when one hits not close to home, but hits home, it feels like the first tragedy you've ever experienced. You know, I think I'm processing everything like so many other people. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

You're sitting in your mom's house now.

[Morgan's Mom]

Yeah.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

And your mom had to evacuate. Friday morning you're in Los Angeles cause you moved there for work with your family. You wake up to your phone text messages going off saying, how are people doing in Texas?

[Morgan's Mom]

Yeah. You never want to sleep through a story as a reporter. Right. And so I checked my phone and I had, you know, six to ten missed text messages. But everyone was asking, is your family okay? How's Kerrville? Is your mom all right? And I had no idea that There was even a flood going on. And in two minutes or less, I kind of caught myself up to speed. And then the rest of the Fourth of July I'll always remember as a bit of a blur, because it was checking in on my family, on my friends, and then realizing the people who were okay and the people we knew who were not okay.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Was it tough for you to get in touch with your mom that morning?

[Morgan's Mom]

To her credit, she's always been easy to reach. Classic mom. We love her for it. And so she let me know she was okay, her house was okay. But to call it a close call, I mean, I think it's the very definition of a close call. When the river eventually came under her back patio, and they drove off, and as they did, a car floated by within a stone's throw with the lights on.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Wow.

[Morgan's Mom]

And that was the beginning of the realization that this was a game changer. This was the storm that rewrote the rules.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

I mentioned that you used to camp out on that river. You grew up right around it. I mean, it's entrenched in the community 100%.

[Morgan's Mom]

I mean, people flock to the hill country so they can get on the Guadalupe River. You float it, you camp along it. You know, any teenager in Kerrville, at least back in my day, you do the summer job, you mow a few lawns, and then you hop in your buddy's pickup and you drive to the nearest river crossing. And that's where you cool off after a long day. You know, I still know where the rope swing was that I used to hit in high school. And so this is this idyllic location, and it's almost kind of like living near a volcano. Um, it can be beautiful at times, and for 99% of the time, it's this great place to be until it's not, and then things can get very bad very quickly.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Well, you mentioned that flash floods are known to happen in this area.

[Morgan's Mom]

Right.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

And. And there was this famous flood that a lot of folks are citing now as we kind of take in the tragedy of what's taken place over the last couple of days that happened back in 1987, where 10 lives were lost. But. But since then, they've had some flooding, but nothing to the magnitude that we're seeing over the last few days. When you got on the ground there, Morgan, walk us through what you saw.

[Morgan's Mom]

So I was able to get on a plane very early Saturday, fly to Austin, landed in the rain, rented a car, drove two hours west through heavy rain, and this was the Day after the event, and it was still raining, raining, and I had to drive out to Hunt, Texas. That's a community about 15 to 20 minutes down the road from Kerrville, and it's closer to the headwaters of the Guadalupe. And as I drove to Hunt and I had the river on my left, I reached a point, Yaz, where I looked at the top of a cypress tree. And near the very top of that tree was a kayak wrapped around a branch. And that kayak was probably 30ft over my head as I drove by. And I just couldn't help but realize in that moment that 24 hours earlier, something put that there. Something put that there with so much force that it crunched it and wrapped it around a tree branch.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

And that was kind of foreshadowing what you would come to see and experience once you arrived in the area. Now, understanding that the lives of all these young girls at this what seems to be incredibly famous camp in Texas, that a lot of Texans attend, that their lives were lost, my mom told.

[Morgan's Mom]

Me over the phone on Friday morning that dozens of girls were missing from Camp Mystic. And I immediately broke down, not because I knew if I knew any of those girls, but because my daughter was still sleeping in the next room. And as a hill country father, you know, the big question when your daughters get to be a certain age is, you know, what camp are you going to send them to? There are institutions around here, and to hear that so many girls and a counselor and the owner were missing at that point in time as a result of this flood, and it. You're floored, you're stunned, you're heartbroken, you're. You're at a loss all simultaneously.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Tell me about some of the lives lost, Morgan.

[Morgan's Mom]

Well, to talk about those lives lost, I feel like I need to explain that, you know, in life, we often talk about six degrees of separation, and in Kerrville, there's one, maybe two. And then that covers pretty much everyone here. And so I found out pretty early that the daughter of a high school classmate of mine, a guy I played football with, great guy, great father. She was missing from Camp Mystic. And unfortunately, within the last 48 hours, it was confirmed that Rene Maestrala passed away as a result of the flood. And just a beautiful little girl from a great family. And prior to that, there was also the news of the loss of Jane Ragsdale. Now, Jane was considered a pillar in the community. She was a camp director at the Heart of the Hills camp. That's a girl's camp. Her brother, Jeeper Ragsdale, runs Camp Stewart for boys. So that gives you a sense of how families are entrenched in these camps, in this community. Her brother told me that she woke up to water around her bed at the camp where she lives. And she made it to the couch and then sent him a text message that said, essentially, the river's coming down. Look out. And that was the last he heard from her. As we're talking about the lives lost, we have to acknowledge the life of Dick Eastland. He was the owner of Camp mystic, who for decades upon decades, you know, looked after those young campers like they were his own children. And I had a chance to speak to someone very close to the family who told me that as the waters were going through the cabins, Dick was able to grab several young girls and put them in an suv. And as he was trying to drive them to safety, the rising waters carried them away. His grandson posted on social media that if his granddad wasn't going to die of natural causes, it would only be trying to save the lives of the girls he looked after like family.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

You know, the hearts of people around the country are going out to the people in Kerrville just watching this tragedy unfold. And I can't imagine what it's like to be in your sho Morgan, to have to report on a story that hits so literally close and having to continue the incredible coverage that you're doing. So we're thankful for that. I'm going to give you a moment. We're going to take a quick break and we're going to be back with Morgan in just a moment.

[Morgan's Mom]

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be buried in an avalanche? Weird foreign feeling of despair or how it feels to crush crash a skydive.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

I remember feeling my body hit the ground.

[Morgan's Mom]

These are the stories you'll hear on the podcast called what was that like? True stories told by the actual person who went through it. And you'll hear actual 911 calls. 91 1.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

There's a man at my back door.

[Morgan's Mom]

Trying to get in search for what was that like on any podcast app [e-mail] taking over the helm of NBC Nightly News. A 75 year old broadcast. It's a great responsibility.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Good evening.

[Morgan's Mom]

I'm Tom Yamas. You have to go out there to bring people at home closer to the store. Wildfires continue to be a threat. With that massive hurricane comes the massive response. The best reporters in our business know how to listen. And when you listen, you get the truth. For NBC News, For NBC News. For NBC News, I'm Tom Yamas. That's what we do every night. NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Evenings on NBC.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Welcome back, everybody, to our special edition of here's the scoop. As reporters, we often have to compartmentalize our feelings to get the story across, even when it's tragic, like what is happening in Texas. But inevitably, these stories sometimes hit close to home, and it's almost impossible. That is what has happened to Morgan as he woke up Friday morning to a flurry of text messages about the unfolding tragedy in Texas, then realizing his mom and his stepdad, Karen and Michael were hurrying to evacuate and help their friends and neighbors at the same time. So we're gonna have Morgan and his mom tell you their stories. Morgan, I know you're sitting right next to your mom in her home that she evacuated from just a couple of days ago. I wanna hear her story.

[Morgan's Mom]

Yeah. Yeah. I've always wanted to interview my mom. I didn't anticipate this would be the reason that it would finally give me the opportunity. But as I sit here at her kitchen table. Mom, how you hanging in?

[Morgan Chesky]

We're doing well. We feel very fortunate that we were able to basically get through this with minimal to our property and no damage to our lives. I am really greatly feeling the loss of our community members, especially Jane, as I went to school with her, and she was a ray of sunshine. And I want everybody to know she was also a very strong and capable person.

[Morgan's Mom]

I know people have already heard me say that growing up in Kerrville, you grow up with an awareness of what the river's capable of. But on that Friday morning when you had trouble sleeping, walk me through what you saw when you walked outside and were watching.

[Morgan Chesky]

It was a very unsettled evening. I'll say that. It was raining and a lot of thunder and lightning. We were both getting the NWS weather alerts. So at one o', clock, we got the first alert. And then at 4 o', clock, we got the alarm, which woke us both up. So we went outside. It was dark, and we could see that the river was up maybe a.

[Morgan's Mom]

Foot, which, to be clear, is next to nothing. And you've seen it flood here multiple times?

[Morgan Chesky]

Yes.

[Morgan's Mom]

You come back inside after seeing it up a foot.

[Morgan Chesky]

Right.

[Morgan's Mom]

And how much time passes before your next check?

[Morgan Chesky]

Maybe 10 or 15 minutes. I'm standing at the kitchen with Michael, who is hard of hearing, and I said, I think I hear the river roaring. And so we both went out on the porch, and it was about five Feet from the street in front of our house.

[Morgan's Mom]

So in a time span of half an hour, it's up. It came up.

[Morgan Chesky]

It came up. It must have been about 25ft up. Michael went to go alert our community. And so he went door to door, banging on the door, Waking people up to let them know that the river was up.

[Morgan's Mom]

As he's knocking on their doors, the water's still rising.

[Morgan Chesky]

The water's still rising. And a car floated by in the river with all the lights on, the headlights and the tail lights. And I have to say, that was the most surreal feeling to watch that float by. And at that point, I'm like, okay, this isn't your ordinary flood. And so then I'm like, okay, we need to leave. So I jumped in his truck and I found him. He was alerting the neighbors. And then we came back and we both evacuated to my brother's house.

[Morgan's Mom]

I know you evacuated to uncle Curtis's house, and you held tight there. When you finally came back home and saw the surroundings for the first time.

[Morgan Chesky]

That was really shocking. The landscape in front of our home had completely changed. With trees down, the debris field is massive. Some of our neighbors who have homes higher than ours had water damage in their homes.

[Morgan's Mom]

I know Michael took a walk the next morning.

[Morgan Chesky]

I actually believe it was later that day. A girl was. I don't even know how to say it, but she was stuck in a tree down at the edge of the property and had to remain there until the authorities could get here. And it was just a really horrific thing to see. He's really been struggling with that.

[Morgan's Mom]

When you saw the damage, mom, did you go back to 87? I feel like everyone always talked about the 87 flood being the big one, right.

[Morgan Chesky]

The 87 flood was very similar in that it was a headwater rain. I don't recall that they actually had any rain that day. They just had a cloudy sky. But that's the nature of these flash floods. If it rains hard enough in one section, Then anything downstream is in trouble. I've lived here since 1971, and I grew up in my childhood on the banks of the frio river. I've seen many, many, many floods, but nothing like this one.

[Morgan's Mom]

Where do we go from here?

[Morgan Chesky]

I don't know. I think everybody is processing it in its own way. One thing that's so heartbreaking Is that so many people were here who wouldn't normally be here because they were here to have fun. They were here to celebrate and enjoy the summer. And mother nature is very fickle And I'll say that this river is very volatile and the fact that it all happened at night was just so very tragic.

[Morgan's Mom]

And it feels like the perfect storm.

[Morgan Chesky]

It does, actually. I think a lot of us are still feeling that it was a surreal event and it will take time to process and to heal.

[Morgan's Mom]

I love you, Mom.

[Morgan Chesky]

I love you, baby.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Yeah. Morgan, I wish our listeners could have seen the love between you and your mom in that incredible interview. I have one more question for her if you don't mind asking. Do folks there stay and rebuild after this or do they move on from the Guadalupe because this has been such an incredible tragedy?

[Morgan's Mom]

Hey, mom, you think folks are going to stay here and rebuild or do you think some are going to say goodbye to their little piece of paradise on the river and not come back after this one?

[Morgan Chesky]

We're a resilient bunch and I think people will rebuild. This is for most of us, our homes. We will still love this river. Hopefully there will be a greater understanding of the need to respect the power of that river and not allow the good times that we could have on it to be negatively impacted by this memory.

[Morgan's Mom]

Amen.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Morgan. Thank you. Thank you to your mom for sharing her story, your stepdad as well, for helping all those people and to everybody there in Kerr County, Texas. Our hearts are with you right now in dealing with this tragedy. Please continue to stay safe out there. That is going to do it for us TODAY, everybody. With here's a scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vasugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the news may.

[Morgan's Mom]

Foreign.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Hey, everyone, I'm Jenna Bush Hager from the Today show and I'm excited to share my podcast Open Book with Jenna. It is back for season two. Each week, celebrities, experts, friends and authors will share candid stories with me about their lives and new projects. Guests like Rebecca Yarros, Kristin Hannah, Ego Wodom and more like a good book.

[Morgan Chesky]

You'Ll leave feeling inspired.

[Yasmin Dasugian]

Inspired and entertained. Join me for my podcast Open Book with Jenna. Listen now on Apple Podcasts.