Texas Flood Horror: Father Dies Saving Family as 52 Confirmed Dead and Dozens Missing

As Texas reels from catastrophic flash floods that struck over the weekend, gut-wrenching survivor accounts and tales of unimaginable heroism are emerging—some ending in heartbreak and loss.

For many residents, the relentless overnight downpour marked the beginning of a nightmare. “You can't describe it,” said Tonya Fucci, who was visiting her grandmother when her hometown was suddenly swallowed by rising water. Speaking to Reuters, she recalled: “I heard sounds like explosions... Later I realized it was trees collapsing into the river. I’m still in shock. I saw furniture, trailers—everything just swept away in a current that never stopped.”

Others fought for their lives in real time. “We had to swim to survive,” brothers Pierce and Barfin Boyd told The Guardian, after escaping a flooded summer camp with toddlers in tow. Irene Burgess, who was with her 19-year-old son, credited their physical connection with saving her: “We held each other. That’s what kept me alive when we went under.”

But perhaps no story has struck a chord like that of Julian Ryan, a husband and father whose final act was breaking a window to save his family—costing him his life.

As floodwaters surged into their home, Ryan realized escape was impossible unless he shattered the glass wall. “He punched through the window to get us out,” his wife recalled. “But he cut his arm badly in the process. He severed an artery—it was nearly torn off.”

Despite repeated 911 calls, help didn’t come in time. Ryan managed a final, heart-rending farewell: “I’m sorry. I’m not going to make it. I love you.” His body was found hours later, KHOU 11 reported.

Christopher Flores, another survivor, awoke to a surreal scene. “I woke up to strange noises,” he said. “Then I saw the electrical socket sparking underwater. Everything filled up at once.” Flores criticized the lack of an effective early warning system: “We need an alert that screams, ‘Get out now,’ like they have for tornadoes.”

Rachel Charles described a miraculous last-minute rescue of her 77-year-old father, Sisto—who suffers from dementia. “He didn’t understand what was happening. When we entered the room, it looked like a river had taken over the living room.”

Shock. Grief. Disbelief. These emotions echo in every account as the scale of the disaster sinks in. “You just want them to find the missing,” said Fucci, “but deep down, you know it won’t end well. No one can survive that.”

At last count, at least 52 people, including around 15 children, have died in the flooding. Among the dozens still missing are many young girls who were staying at the now-destroyed summer camp—where hopes of survival diminish with each passing hour.