Five-mile-long police escort honors Texas flood victim's body as hometown gathers in rain to pay respects

KERR COUNTY, TEXAS: The body of 21-year-old architecture student Claire "Reese" Manchaca was brought home to Montgomery County on Wednesday, July 9, following her tragic death in the catastrophic flash floods that devastated Kerr County over the July Fourth weekend.

Her return was marked by a five-mile-long police and community escort, with grieving residents lining the rain-soaked streets to pay tribute.

Reese, a University of Texas at San Antonio student, was swept away along with three friends when a wall of water destroyed the riverfront home where they were staying. Her remains were recovered Monday amid the wreckage left behind by one of the deadliest inland floods in US history.

Five-mile-long police procession escorts Reese Manchaca home as community mourns Texas flood victim

On Wednesday afternoon, Claire "Reese" Manchaca was escorted back to her hometown of Conroe in a solemn procession led by emergency responders, motorcycle riders, and community members. Deputies from all five Montgomery County constable precincts traveled to Kerrville to accompany her body home.

“I want to thank all of our Constables for answering the call and providing some comfort to the family during this difficult time,” said Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough in a Facebook post.

Pastor Mark Grimes of Caney Creek Cowboy Church led a group prayer, as mourners removed their hats in reverence. Reese was then taken to McNutt Funeral Home in Conroe.

Three friends found dead, one still missing after Kerr County flood sweeps away riverside home

Claire "Reese" Manchaca and her college friends, Ella Cahill, Joyce Badon, and Aidan Heartfield, had traveled to a waterfront property in Hunt, Texas, to celebrate the holiday weekend. The house, owned by Heartfield’s father, was a familiar retreat for the group.

In the early morning hours of July 4, disaster struck. A deadly flash flood surged through the area, causing the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes. The home was torn from its foundation, leaving behind only a concrete slab.

Despite flood watches and a flash flood emergency alert issued by the National Weather Service, the group was already trapped by the time the warnings intensified around 4 am.

The bodies of Reese and Joyce were recovered on July 7, followed by Ella’s on July 8. Aidan, Ella’s boyfriend and high school sweetheart, remains missing as of Thursday afternoon.

Rescue crews race against time as Texas flood toll hits 121, hundreds still unaccounted for

Rescue efforts continued for a seventh consecutive day on July 10, as teams searched for more than 170 people still unaccounted for in the aftermath of the devastating flash floods that swept through Central Texas over the July Fourth weekend.

According to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and local law enforcement, the official death toll has climbed to 121. Search crews remain active in the flood-ravaged region, combing through wreckage and debris left by the storm that caused the Guadalupe River to surge to near-record levels with little warning.

The flood swept through multiple youth camps, including Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and staff died, and several remain missing. Authorities established a hotline for families to report missing persons, which tripled the number of unaccounted-for individuals from earlier estimates.

From first responders to strangers along the roadside, the people of Montgomery County united in grief as they welcomed Reese home. Amid rain and heartbreak, the community stood together, honoring not just a young woman with dreams of designing the future, but all those lost in the flood’s devastating wake.