SAN MARCOS, Texas — Hays County delivered an update on Thursday regarding flood victims from the May and October 2015 floods.

After assisting more than 1,600 affected families, only four families remain to be helped, the Blanco River Regional Recovery Team announced. BR3T is the four-county, nonprofit long-term recovery program put into place following the Memorial Weekend Flood of 2015, and is serving as a model for long-term recovery programs in other areas of Texas.

The BR3T has raised more than $400,000 for families to repair their homes, and with the help of volunteers, saved more than $308,000 in labor costs.

With the four remaining families expected to be helped by the end of June, the BR3T will wind down its current programs, but intends to remain open to prepare for the next disaster, according to Earl Bolls, president of the BR3T Board of Directors.

“Central Texas needs to remain ready for long-term recovery action following whatever the next disaster is,” Hays County Director of Emergency Services Kharley Smith said. “Recovery from a major disaster takes years, and once a team like BR3T is in place, it is critical that it stay operational and ready to function. The sooner long-term recovery begins, the sooner a family, a subdivision, a town, or a county gets back to normal.”

Board member Mike Jones, who also serves as Hays County’s Local Health Department Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, told Hays County Commissioners Court that the BR3T is already planning fundraisers for the next disaster.

To learn more about the BR3T, or to donate, visit BR3T.org or call 512-677-9701.