There's no easing back in for Kelly Clarkson, who kicked off the seventh season of her eponymous talk show today, Sept. 29, with a heavy, but powerful, showcase of some of the lesser-known heroes from this summer's devastating flooding in the hill country of Texas.
For the premiere episode, Clarkson shined the light on a dozen of the unsung heroes of the "once in a century storm," which "swept through central Texas" in the early morning hours of July 4, 2025. She invited a dozen individuals who answered the desperate plea for anyone capable of driving a bus to evacuate campers and counselors from multiple affected locations after the Guadalupe River swelled a shocking 26 feet in just one hour, with many residents unaware of the resulting devastation until after the flash flooding had already "washed away dozens of structures," ultimately taking 135 lives—the area's deadliest flooding in almost 50 years.
Kerrville ISD Superintendent Dr. Brent Ringo emphasized that he "had no idea" what had occurred overnight until 7:30 that morning, when he received a phone call informing him of the disaster declaration. "I even had to ask the question, 'What happened?'" he shared. Upon hearing the severity of the situation, he jumped into action, heading down to the river's edge to see it for himself. Throughout the day, he heard more and more stories directly impacting his community, eventually receiving a call for help from one of several summer camps in the area, Camp La Junta, where the entire roster of 400 campers was safe, but stranded, after miraculously escaping the flooding grounds.
Ringo activated Kerrville ISD's emergency plan, calling for anyone who was qualified to drive a bus—drivers, coaches, principals, and the like—and within just 15 minutes, had over a dozen on the way. "Our drivers that stepped up were true heros, because as we got to a bridge before we got to Camp La Junta, the bridge was covered in debris on both sides, there were chunks of the bridge missing. The National Guard told us they tested the bridge before we went over it, and that's when I knew our drivers are getting into danger because if that bridge were to give, that's when they're gonna go downriver and have another tragedy on our hands."
Instead, as Clarkson put it, "amid the tragedy, there was light," as the drivers soldiered on and "risked their lives to help rescue more than 900 kids."
Pictured: Kerrville Bus Drivers, Kelly ClarksonPhoto by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Heart-stopping footage of the bridge in question showed school buses driving single file across the crumbling structure, with water rushing underneath, to reach the community's stranded children.
The singer—and Texas native—grew emotional as she listened to the drivers recount their rescues, with Don, Rick and Mickey, who responded to Camp La Junta, sharing the stories first.
"As soon as we got that call and what it was about, we were out the door," Don recalled "flying" down the road to reach the kids. As he was overwhelmed with emotion over the "devastating" conditions of the area, Rick, who led the line of buses down the road, jumped in, emphasizing the way they all "stormed out there" to find hundreds of "wet, muddy kids in their pajamas, wet shoes, huddled waiting for our buses."
Mickey added that some of them were simply in swim trunks, or whatever else they'd slept in. Some had no shirts or no shoes, and it was clearly a relief for her to be able to get them safely on her bus and back to their families.
Others were sent to Camp Mystic, which, perhaps, got the most media attention as 27 campers and counselors lost their lives—with some still missing to this day. It was the first time Aubrey, a teacher who had just gotten her bus driver's license, drove with passengers on board. There was "no time to be nervous," she said. Her friend and colleague, Amanda, added, "All day, I think everyone just wanted to help. We wanted to stay out of the way of our first responders...so when we got that call, everybody just hopped in."
It was a tragically heavy process as they transported children from the camp to a triage center, where they were medically evaluated and photographed for identification, before being brought on to a unification center, where not every parent would see their daughter stepping off of one of the vehicles.
"It was awesome to see all of the parents reunited with their kids, [but] the hardest part was when the last kid got off your bus and the parents just asked, 'Was that it?'" Clarkson wiped tears from her eyes over the imagery, failing to find the words with which to respond. She continued to dab at her eyes throughout the interview, and folks in the studio audience witnessed a moment or two where filming paused so she could collect herself.
The poignant moment emphasizes Clarkson's impressive ability to connect with everyone she comes in contact with. Showrunner Alex Duda told Parade following the taping, "From the beginning, Kelly's [been] a connector. Since the very first pilot, she knew every cameraman's name. She connected with the audience, she connected with the crew, she connected with the people on the couch."
"And that's what she is naturally," she adds, which will certainly continue to be evident as Clarkson and her crew strive to "find the light" in the world as the season progresses.
Related: Kelly Clarkson’s Life Was ‘Changed’ After Winning ‘American Idol’ 23 Years Ago Today
Hence then, the article about kelly clarkson is overcome with emotion during poignant interview with unsung heroes of the texas flood exclusive was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Kelly Clarkson Is Overcome With Emotion During Poignant Interview With Unsung Heroes of the Texas Flood (Exclusive) )
Also on site :
- Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky awaits Putin response to new peace plan while Christmas Eve blast kills 3 in Moscow
- JCPenney Has a 'Stunning' White Sapphire Jewelry Set on Sale for Just $16, and It's Perfect for Every Occasion
- ‘Adopt-a-Grandparent’: DJ’s Christmas event reminds nursing home residents that somebody cares