At least 82 people, including 28 children, have died in the horrific floods sweeping through Texas, but the death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue and at least 41 people remain missing.
The flash floods started on Thursday night and continued well into Friday morning, with experts detailing how several months’ worth of rain fell in just a few hours. The Guadalupe River rose a staggering 26ft (8m) in those few hours, bursting its banks and destroying both homes and businesses in the area.
“We know we get rain. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming,” Rob Kelly, the county’s top elected official, said in a statement. “We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States. We had no reason to believe this was going to be anything like what’s happened here. None whatsoever.”
Both local and federal officials have been slammed for their response, with people accusing State officials of not issuing enough warnings before the flash floods occurred. It’s still a developing situation, with relief efforts resuming as the death toll continues to rise, but already, families of the recently deceased have spoken out.
Credit: DUSTIN SAFRANEK/EPA/Shutterstock
Father of three, Julian Ryan, was killed in the Texas floods
27-year-old Julian Ryan, his mother, his fiancée, and their three kids were sleeping in their home in Kerr County when the Guadalupe River rose up and flooded their home. Within just 20 minutes, the water was at knee level, according to Ryan’s fiancée, Christina Wilson.
“[Water] just started pouring in, we had to fight the door to get it closed, tried to hold the door closed, just so that too much didn’t come in,” she told KHOU. “We ran back into the room and we started calling 911, but the water just kept coming. We had no choice but to get out.”
Credit: GoFundMe
On the top floor of their home, Ryan punched through a window so his family could get onto the roof and away from the rushing water below. Tragically, the heroic act almost cut his arm “clean off” as the shattered glass severed an artery, causing him to bleed out. Just a few hours later, and without aid from emergency services, Ryan succumbed to blood loss.
Christina recalled his last words: “He looked at me, the kids, and his mother and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for Ryan’s funeral arrangements, with his family penning: “Julian gave his life for his family, passing as a true hero. While we are eternally grateful for his sacrifice, we are shattered by our loss. His sudden departure has left an unfillable void in all our lives.
“He was known to have an infectious laugh and unwavering kindness. He touched countless lives with his humour and will be deeply missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”
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Featured image credit: GoFundMe
