Porter: Hundreds lined the rain-slicked streets of Montgomery County on Wednesday as 21-year-old Claire Reese Manchaca was escorted home for burial, following her death in the catastrophic July 4 floods that devastated Texas Hill Country.
Manchaca, a University of Texas–San Antonio architecture student and 2022 graduate of Caney Creek High School, was among more than 111 confirmed fatalities after torrential flooding swept through Kerr County, particularly near Camp Mystic and the Guadalupe River. Three of the four friends vacationing at a family cabin in Hunt, Texas, have now been confirmed dead. One—Aidan Heartfield—remains missing.
The motorcade accompanying Manchaca’s body began in Kerrville and proceeded east toward Conroe, escorted by all five Montgomery County constable precincts. Mourners gathered under the Grand Parkway overpass at FM 1314, many holding umbrellas and homemade posters, to pay tribute as police cruisers, fire engines, and dozens of motorcycles led the solemn procession.
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“This tragedy has shaken so many, and the loss of such a bright, young life is truly gut-wrenching,” said Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough in a statement. “We continue to pray for those still unaccounted for and all who are grieving.”
Manchaca was the third in the group of four young adults to be found after floodwaters inundated the riverside cabin they were staying in. According to eyewitness reports and family interviews, water levels rose rapidly from four inches to four feet around 4:30 a.m. on July 5, forcing the group to attempt an escape as a tree crashed into the structure. Manchaca’s body was recovered on Monday.
Manchaca was remembered by friends and teachers as creative, fearless, and full of warmth. “She stood out because she was exactly who she was,” said family friend and teacher JLyn Jackson. “Reese lit up every room she walked into.”
To honor her memory, members of the Caney Creek High School community launched a “Forever Reese” campaign featuring tribute shirts bearing angel wings and her favorite colors. Over 200 shirts sold within a day, with a goal of raising $10,000 for her family.
“I just pray that anyone feels her spirit when they’re wearing that shirt,” said Tracy Underwood, another family friend.
The group of friends had traveled to Hunt, Texas, for a holiday getaway. Alongside Manchaca were Ella Cahill, her college roommate; Joyce Badon, a high school friend; and Aidan Heartfield, Cahill’s longtime partner. All four were 21 or 22 years old and described by their families as “bright, driven, and deeply loved.”
Cahill, a business student and campus leader at UTSA, was found Tuesday night. Badon, an architecture senior at Savannah College of Art and Design, was found Monday. Heartfield, a Beaumont native and grandson of former U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield, is still missing despite days of extensive search efforts.
The deaths have highlighted both the lack of early warning systems in remote areas and the desperate need for better communication during extreme weather events. Kerr County officials noted that some camps received no alerts due to poor cell service. A temporary halt in aerial search efforts occurred after a drone collided with a rescue helicopter, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
UTSA, which lost both Manchaca and Cahill in the disaster, will hold an on-campus memorial Friday and a virtual community gathering Wednesday evening. The university has made grief counseling available to affected students.
Manchaca’s burial service is being held at McNutt Funeral Home in Conroe.
