In the face of unprecedented Texas floods, one couple experienced a terrifying ordeal as their house disintegrated around them, with nothing to hold on to but a post — and each other.
In the flood plains of Ingram, Texas, a couple was forced to hold on to a cedar post for hours as devastating flash flooding washed away their entire home.
During the early morning hours of Friday, July 4, 2025, unprecedented floodwaters swept through numerous central Texas counties. Doug and Elizabeth Fuller were home when the flooding started.
First was a steady rain that lasted for hours, accompanied by mobile weather alerts. The Fullers did not find this unusual, though — they’d seen the area flood numerous times over the past decade.
This time would prove different. As lightning intensified, Doug saw a huge wall of water coming towards them. His car started floating, water rushed out of their home’s outlets, and blew in the back door.
Doug, a musician, placed his guitars on his bed for safekeeping. Minutes later, the bed hit the ceiling. They switched the guitars to their attic’s crawl space, hoping it would be safer. As furniture floated around them, they held on to the front door’s frame.
At this point, the Fullers feared for their lives. “I thought, ‘I really don’t want to die. This sucks and this is not cool,’” recalled Doug. Elizabeth, though, said she found something to be grateful for in this dire moment:
“I told him, ‘At least we’ll go down together, or we’ll make it out together,’ and we did. I’m so glad.”
After some time, a surge of water pushed them out of the house. Doug reached for a cedar post supporting an awning in front of the house, and Elizabeth struggled to reach him. He gripped her tightly and helped her to the post, where they held on for four hours.
At this point, the flood was roaring. “It sounded like a freight train and a tornado fighting,” said Doug to PEOPLE, adding that they “watched buildings wash by. We watched them completely disappear.”
Over the next several hours, they saw the flood reach the roofline. When the waters finally receded and their feet touched the ground, they were in a daze. Doug then spotted tow truck drivers — marveled at finding survivors — who helped the couple find medical aid.
EMTs had set up an emergency triage area in a high school parking lot. They examined the couple — Doug had a bump on his head, while Elizabeth had a blood vessel burst in her hand. Both were in good shape otherwise.
After receiving assistance, Doug and Elizabeth were taken in by Doug’s parents. They were able to get some food, watch the news, and see footage of the devastation, including images of themselves, still listed as missing.
At first, Doug felt angry at having lost nearly everything, but then he felt lucky to be alive. “I feel more guilty because there’s little kids out there whose parents are just waiting with every minute,” he explained.
After composing themselves, there was no time to rest. Elizabeth’s in-laws drove her to get a fresh outfit and then to work a double shift at a local restaurant. “If I don’t work, we’re not going to come back from this,” she said.
For the Fullers, not all was lost to the flood. Not only did they walk away with their lives, but they also found that Doug’s favorite guitar survived the waters in the crawl space, right where they left it.
Many were far less fortunate. The number of fatalities rose to 50 by Sunday, July 6 — including 28 adults, and over 15 children —, and is expected to continue rising. Communities in affected counties are reeling in the wake of the tragedy.
On Facebook, Kerr County’s Virginia Inez Raper shared her experiences in a long post. She spent the day of the flood searching the area, managing to find Doug and Elizabeth, and called for the community to come together.
“This is a small view of the devastation felt in my local community. My family and friends are okay I believe. I did find [Elizabeth] and [Doug] and I am going to get back in a little bit to get started helping my family and friends pick up the pieces,” she wrote, adding:
“I am so grateful to just have made it out alive and with my loved ones safe. I over-did it yesterday, searching tirelessly with no sleep for people who I valued more than life itself.”
“We may have taken a hit to our homes, but you can flood our homes, take our possessions, and try to leave us with nothing, but as a community… We will band together and we will be okay,” she declared. “I love every one of you dear friends.”
“Please take a moment to pray for the ones who were not able to make it through and remember that a lot of our friends need help right now,” she wrote, before exhorting the community to “Do what you can for your fellow man!!”.
As emergency efforts continue to unfold, death tolls rise with each update. We hope that those impacted by the floods find comfort and assistance in the days and weeks ahead.
Source: news.amomama.com