In the wake of the devastating Fourth of July floods in the Texas Hill Country, Real America’s Voice correspondent Ben Bergquam delivered raw, unfiltered coverage from the ground—capturing both heartbreaking scenes and the indomitable spirit of survivors. His exclusive footage offers a grim but necessary glimpse into the human toll of the disaster, which has already claimed over 80 lives and left many more missing or displaced.
Bergquam’s reports from Kerrville and Comfort, Texas, showed the grim process of search and rescue as floodwaters began to recede. In one haunting clip, he narrated as emergency crews attempted to extract a camper van trapped in a debris pile, believed to belong to a missing family. “We’ve got the FBI evidence team on the other side going into the trees… Who knows where the family is—probably downriver,” he said solemnly. Scenes like this were repeated across the region as previously submerged vehicles surfaced—many suspected to contain victims swept away in the flood’s powerful current.
Amid the tragedy, Bergquam also documented powerful moments of survival and hope. In Comfort, Texas, he interviewed Elizabeth Hastings as she stepped into her ruined home for the first time since evacuating. The interior was caked in mud and debris, the waterline reaching to the ceiling, but her resilience shone through. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful place,” she told him, describing her gratitude for life, community support, and faith. “My prayer is that darkness turns to light.”
Bergquam helped amplify these local voices, which are often ignored by mainstream media. In a pointed critique of national outlets, Bergquam accused them of politicizing the tragedy. “Expose these scumbags! They don’t care about the victims. All they care about is their narrative,” he charged in one post, condemning journalists for prioritizing political attacks over real human suffering. “The reporters are not just antagonistic—they’re disingenuous.”
His commentary drew a stark contrast between the boots-on-the-ground heroism of first responders and what he described as media efforts to undermine them. “These same people who wanted to defund the police are now blaming law enforcement for not doing enough,” he said. “Meanwhile, first responders are killing themselves to get this job done.”
In a later update, Bergquam highlighted the emotional toll on rescue teams still operating under flood watch, even as they dug through debris to uncover trapped vehicles. “The smell of death is unmistakable,” he said, recounting a vehicle extraction initiated when locals caught a scent beneath layers of wreckage. “It’s going to be like this for a while. We’re going to find more and more.”
Despite the despair, the call to faith and unity was persistent. “Pray, pray, pray,” Bergquam urged repeatedly, pointing not just to physical devastation, but to a broader spiritual battle for truth, decency, and national resilience.
From battered neighborhoods to riverside wreckage, Bergquam’s reporting didn’t just show what happened—it reminded viewers of what matters: truth, community, and unwavering courage in the face of loss.