According to a report from the Austin American-Statesman, a riverside RV park once meant to fund Lorena Guillen’s retirement is now shuttered for good after July 4 flooding killed four people at Blue Oak RV Park and devastated the family-run business.
Guillen and her husband purchased the park — just feet from the typically tranquil Guadalupe River — as a retirement investment built on steady cash flow. That plan collapsed when a deadly flood swept through the property during the July 4 weekend.
Four people staying at Blue Oak were killed in the flooding, part of a Texas Hill Country disaster that claimed at least 135 lives overall and left entire riverside communities in ruins.
Guillen’s loss reflects a broader reckoning after the floods, which exposed vulnerabilities at riverside youth camps, RV parks and campgrounds. While Texas lawmakers have since passed new safety legislation, survivors say disaster relief has been uneven — often favoring homeowners over small businesses and low-income residents.
“If there’s another 40-foot flood again, knowing that there’s nobody here, I’ll be able to sleep,” Guillen said. “And I don’t think I’ll survive another flood like this.”
She’s been trying to obtain a Small Business Administration loan to rebuild after more than $2 million in damage, but the federal agency has denied her three times due to lack of collateral. After the most recent denial, she suffered a heart attack and collapsed on the floor of an SBA office.
After a short hospital stay, Guillen recovered physically, but the remaining emotional and financial strains have forced Blue Oak RV Park — and likely its adjoining restaurant — to close permanently.
Click here to read the full report from the Austin American-Statesman.
