A dad opened up about the final message he got from his daughter before she got swept away in the floods that hit Texas.
These flash floods have taken the lives of at least 109 people so far. Rescue teams are still out there searching, trying to locate over 160 others who haven’t been found yet.
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Whole mobile homes, cars, and vacation cabins got pulled away. This all happened while people were just trying to enjoy the Fourth of July.
One month’s rain fell in just hours, triggering disaster
There was so much rain, it basically dumped a whole month’s worth in just a few hours. That caused the Guadalupe River to rise all the way up to 26 feet, which was a really dangerous level.
Daughter’s last heartbreaking words to her father
Joyce Catherine Badon, just 21, was near the river with her college friends when the water started coming in fast.
She sent her dad a short, painful message right before she got swept away. Louis Deppe, who helps lead a volunteer search group, told reporters, “On her cellphone, the last message [her family] got was ‘we’re being washed away’ and the phone went dead.”
Her grieving mother finds peace in faith
Joyce’s mom, Kellye Badon, later posted something on Facebook after they found her daughter’s body.
“God showed us the way we should go this morning!” she wrote. “We found our lovely daughter who blessed us for 21 years! We pray to be able to find her three friends soon. Thanks to EVERYONE for the prayers and support. God is good!”
Friends still missing after the tragedy
Joyce wasn’t alone when it happened. She was with three friends — Ella Cahill, Aidan Heartfield, and Reese Manchaca.
They’re all still missing, according to 12 News Now.
A desperate call moments before disaster struck
Joyce and the others were staying at a house owned by Aidan’s dad. Right before the flood hit, Aidan had been on the phone with his father.
Ty Badon shared what happened: “Aidan said, ‘Hey I’ve got to go, I’ve got to help Ella and Reese … they just got washed away’, and then a few seconds later the phone just went dead, and that’s all we know,” he told CNN.
Officials question weather service preparedness
Some Texas officials think the National Weather Service dropped the ball. They’re saying emergency crews didn’t get the proper heads-up about how serious the rain was going to be.
That may have played a big part in how bad things got, according to the New York Times.
Cost-cutting measures left key roles unfilled
It looks like a bunch of important jobs at local NWS offices were empty when the floods hit. That was because of budget cuts rolled out by the Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year.
Those cuts came from changes introduced by Elon Musk, and they may have had a real impact on how things played out.
The White House defends federal response
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back hard on people blaming the president.
She said, “Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie and it serves no purpose in the time of national mourning.”
She also added that the National Weather Service still “executed timely and precise forecasts and warnings” even with the wild, unexpected rainfall that hit Texas.
