The 2011 wildfires destroyed 1,645 homes, leaving hundreds of uninsured or not adequately insured residents homeless. In its wake, the Bastrop County Long Term Recovery Team formed to manage the rebuilding, helping their neighbors with the most anxiety-producing parts of recovering a home: pulling deeds, obtaining permits, scheduling inspections, lining up builders and construction accounts, and securing funding. The task at hand, the sheer number of folks affected who were slipping into bureaucratic cracks seemed impossible. The supporting community groups working alongside the wild women of BCLTRT – shout-outs to big hearts Tami Atkins, Janice Butler, Kate Johnston, and Chris Files – remained undaunted and steadfast, so much so that other communities now look to them to learn about a layer of disaster relief no one can fully anticipate. Three years after the disaster, Bastrop has still not completely recovered, but every new home is one step closer.
