
In the early morning darkness in a small Texas town, the unimaginable happened on the Fourth of July. What was once a quiet, elevated neighborhood far above the riverbanks was reduced to a shattered landscape of debris, torn foundations, and haunting silence. Texas residents, stunned and shaken, now sift through whatâs left of their homes and their lives after a catastrophic flash flood tore through their community.
Ben Bergquam, host of Real Americas Voice show Law and Border, was on the ground on Saturday, just one day after the waters receded, interviewing survivors in one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods. His interview with one couple painted a picture of sheer survival and raw emotion in the face of loss.
âWe were way above the river. Way above,â the wife recounted, still in disbelief. âWe had no idea it would come this far.â
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She had put on a life jacketâher husbandâs old sporting gearâbecause she couldnât swim. That jacket, she believes, saved her life. Their two dogs were with them; tragically, only one made it out. In the pitch black around 5 a.m., they bobbed through icy water, gripping trees, calling 911, praying for rescue. âMy husband grabbed me. We were hanging onto a tree. I had surgery recently. I was exhausted.â
Moments later, the house next doorâcompletely torn from its foundationâsmashed into theirs. âWe had just gotten out⌠it wouldâve crushed us.â Inside that neighboring house was a family. âI heard only the son survived,â she said quietly. âI donât know about the wife or the baby. They said they didnât make it.â
Amid the ruins, the woman began sorting through the wreckage, hoping to salvage a purse, a few clothes, a memory. A cabinet survived, oddly intact. But their second dog remains missing. âI donât know why I left her,â she whispered.
Bergquam noted the staggering power of the flood: âThe water was at least 20 feet over that house. The house was swept away, slammed into another, and kept moving. Whole homes are gone.â
The survivor pointed to a tree line where she and her husband were pulled to safety. âIf we had gone past those trees,â she said, gesturing to a stretch near the river, âwe wouldâve been gone.â
There were no flood sirens. No real warning. âThey always warn about hail, about tornadoesâbut nothing about this. They shouldâve told people, Stay away from the river. Evacuate. We had no clue.â
âOne of the blessings in tragedy,â Bergquam reflected, âis it shows you who your friends are. It strips away everything petty. Itâs about family, community, and standing up for each other. Thatâs America.â
This disaster, striking just as Independence Day approached, reminded many of what true patriotism looks like: neighbors risking everything to help each other, people clinging to hope when everything else has been ripped away.
âOutside of the loss of life,â Bergquam said, âthis is what America is supposed to beâunited. Our prayer now is that this spirit of unity and resilience doesnât fade when the water does.â