One couple had a horrifying experience as their house collapsed around them due to the severe floods in Texas, leaving them with nothing to cling to except a post and one another.
Devastating flash floods destroyed a couple’s whole home in the flood plains of Ingram, Texas, forcing them to cling on a cedar post for hours.
On Friday, July 4, 2025, early in the morning, historic flooding rushed through many counties in central Texas. When the floods began, Doug and Elizabeth Fuller were at home.
The first was an hour-long, continuous rain that was accompanied by mobile weather notifications. However, this was nothing new to the Fullers, who had witnessed multiple floods in the region in the previous ten years.
It would be different this time. Doug noticed a massive wall of water approaching them as the lightning grew stronger. Water surged out of their home’s outlets and blew in the rear door as his car began to float.
Musician Doug put his guitars on his bed to keep them safe. The bed struck the ceiling a few minutes later. In the hopes that it would be safer, they moved the guitars to the crawl space in their attic. They clung to the frame of the entrance door while furniture drifted about them.
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.”
A rush of water eventually forced them from the house. Elizabeth strained to get to Doug as he reached for a cedar pillar holding up an awning in front of the house. They held on for four hours while he held her tightly and assisted her to the post.
At this point, the flood was roaring. “It sounded like a freight train and a tornado fighting,” said Doug to People, adding, “We watched buildings wash by. We watched them completely disappear.”
The pair was stunned when the flood eventually subsided and their feet touched the earth after witnessing it reach the rooftop. When Doug saw that EMTs had set up an emergency triage station in a high school parking lot, tow truck drivers were amazed to locate survivors and assisted them in finding medical assistance. They looked at the pair; Elizabeth had a blood vessel burst in her hand, and Doug had a bump on his head. Other than that, both were in good condition.
Doug’s parents took in Doug and Elizabeth once they received help. They were able to watch the news, eat some food, and view pictures of the destruction, including pictures of themselves that were still 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.
They had no time to rest after gathering themselves. Before working a double shift at a nearby restaurant, Elizabeth was driven by her in-laws to purchase a new clothing. “If I don’t work, we’re not going to come back from this,” she stated.
The flood did not destroy everything for the Fullers. They not only made it out alive, but they also discovered that Doug’s favourite instrument was still in the crawl space, exactly where they left it.
Many were much less lucky. By Sunday, July 6, the death toll had risen to 50, including over 15 children and 28 adults, and is predicted to keep climbing. Following the catastrophe, communities in the impacted counties are in shock.
Virginia Inez Raper of Kerr County wrote a lengthy post on Facebook about her experiences. She called for solidarity in the town and spent the day of the flood combing the region, eventually finding Doug and Elizabeth.
“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.”
After writing, “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 urged the community to “Do what you can for your fellow man!!”
The number of fatalities is increasing with every update as emergency operations continue. In the next days and weeks, we hope people affected by the floods find solace and support.
