The tragedy in Texas, following the Guadalupe River’s transformation into a flash flood, continues to unfold. The death toll has reached over 100, including 30 children.
While the devastation and horror stories emerge, there are also stories of those who managed to survive. One of them was 19-year-old Leo Romero Jr., who now shares the terrifying moment he thought he would die.
The devastating flooding in Texas has claimed at least 110 people’s lives. Kerr County was hit the hardest after the Guadalupe River turned into a flash flood, with at least 87 dead, including 30 children. Both counselors and children from the Christian girls’ camp, Camp Mystic, passed away in the flooding, and many are still missing.
President Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for the county, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, alongside volunteers and first responders, are on the scene trying to locate and find those missing, as well as helping with taking care of those who have lost loved ones.
“We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters Tuesday. “There could very likely be more people added to the list.”
While the death toll is rising, fingers are pointed in different directions about who is to blame for the flood warnings possibly not working correctly. Abbott was clear on that, blaming someone at this point is the “rod choice of losers,” continuing by launching a football analogy.
“30-foot-high tsunami wall of water”
“Every football team makes mistakes,” the governor said, per the NY Post. “The losing teams are the ones that try to point out who’s to blame. The championship teams are the ones that say, ‘Don’t worry, ma’am, we’ve got this.'”
Abbott further stated that officials were aware of the possibility of serious flash floods days before Kerr County was hit. Resources were then put in place.
“We were ready with the resources on the ground to be able to quickly respond,” he added. “No one would know that would be a 30-foot-high tsunami wall of water, I don’t think,” the governor explained.
“All I can tell you is the information we had, the state had, and that we acted on, was information that catalyzed us to begin putting assets and resources in place two days before the event happened,” the governor concluded.
Witnesses have shared heartwrenching stories about parents being swept away with their children or heroes trying to save others but sacrificing their lives instead. Meanwhile, some people managed to escape the nightmare flash flood.
19-year-old boy recalls terrifying moment his family was swept away in Texas floods
Speaking with the San Antonio-based news channel KSAT, 19-year-old Leo Romero Jr., who was in the middle of the devastating event, survived. He is missing his father, 2-year-old brother, and stepmother after their house was ripped from its foundation by the flood. His family was swept away, and he recalled the terrifying moments.
“I thought that was it,” Romero said. “I don’t want to say I accepted it, but I thought I was going to die.”
Romero is recovering at Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville for the time being. He said he never went to sleep on the night of July 3, and at around 6:00 a.m. on July 4, he heard water beneath him. At that point, it hadn’t yet entered the house, and he decided to wake up his father, stepmother, and brother.
“It was bad, but at that moment, we didn’t think what happened was going to happen,” Romero recalled, adding that his father told them to climb onto a couch and grab onto the curtains. While his father held his son in the air, the water rose. The 19-year-old continued by explaining how he hit his head as the roof collapsed, and the house was swept away.
“Next thing I know, the house is gone,” Romero said. “I’m in the water. I think I just hit a lot of rubble, parts of houses, trees, and stuff like that.
Family members remain missing
The boy was trapped in the floodwaters for four hours before firefighters managed to rescue him. He hasn’t seen his family since that terrifying moment the house collapsed, but he won’t let go of the hope of finding them.
“We have the whole family searching. Neighbors, search,” Romero told KSAT. “I’m glad I’m safe. But it hurts knowing that I don’t know anything about my family.”
When the water rose, he decided to leave his mother a voicemail, which she shared.
“Te amo mami,” Romero said.
We are praying for all those affected by the devastating floods and extend our warmest gratitude to those working day and night to try and find those missing.
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