Legend has it that the first settlers to arrive in Comfort found evidence of
a massive flood when
they came across a large cypress tree that had been uprooted, carried far inland, and dumped on
what is now considered "high ground." Since then,
Comfort has survived several destructive floods. The worst of them being in 1870, 1900, 1932, and 1978.
With countless more smaller floods before, during, and since. The latest of which happened in 2002.
Even in the early years when cypress shingle and lumber mills were washed off the banks of the
Guadalupe River and Cypress Creek, the people of Comfort were steadfast in rebuilding.
Losing a mill or cabin to high water back then was just a fact of life. The floods of 1870, and 1978
both qualified as "100 year floods." Below is a small collection some of the old newspaper pictures and
clippings that were loaned to me for my research. Special thanks to Jerry Flach for providing
the newspapers.
Articles from the 1978 "One Hundred Year Flood."
Picture of the Guadalupe river flooding in 1932
A common scene at creeks and
rivers in the Comfort area after the 1978 flood
Locals view what used to
be a bridge before the 1978 flood
The scene in Center Point near
Comfort where the 1978 flood claimed several lives
Even though the 1978 flood caused more damage and claimed more lives,
the flood in 1987 would end up garnering national attention. In July of that year, 43 youth camp children were
swept into
the raging Guadalupe river in Comfort. Which launched a huge rescue effort to save
them from the treetops
the were clinging to. Most were saved by helicopter rescues, but 9 children were lost, and one boy was never found. The event
was made into a full-length television movie in 1993 named,
"The Flood. Who will save our Children." Three
families of these children filed a lawsuit against the Pot-O-Gold youth camp as a result. The case was settled
out of court.
Click
here for a larger view of the pictures on this page
Click here
for a great website on Texas Flood history.
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Comfort History