According to The Washington Post, the search for survivors continues after catastrophic floods claimed the lives of dozens across Texas. As the water recedes, the heartbreaking stories of families swept away by the storm are beginning to emerge.

Saved Other Families, But Couldn’t Save His Own

Around 3:30 a.m. on July 4, RJ Harber woke to the sound of heavy rain and thunder crashing through the sky. Just a few hours earlier, he had received flash flood alerts for other regions — but not for where he was staying: a cabin in the Casa Bonita community in Texas.

RJ, a 45-year-old father and attorney from Dallas, had camped in the area many times before. He figured the river might rise a little, but nothing more. He wanted to check on his two daughters: Brooke, 11, and Blair, 13, who were staying in a riverside cabin with their grandparents, Mike and Charlene Harber.

When RJ stepped onto the cabin floor, he felt water already about four inches deep. He turned to his wife, Annie, who had also woken up.

“Annie, the cabin is flooding,” he said.

He saw water pouring in through the front door. When he tried to open it, it wouldn’t budge. Looking out the window, the river had risen to within two feet of the glass.

“We have to get out now,” RJ told Annie.

They grabbed a few essentials — phones and a small bag — and jumped out the window about two minutes later. By then, the water had reached Annie’s neck.

They ran to a nearby cabin on slightly higher ground, banging on the door to wake the family inside. When that family opened the door, the water was already touching their threshold. RJ and Annie moved to a second cabin, then a third, waking others as they went.

RJ borrowed a kayak, life jackets, and a flashlight, then attempted to paddle toward the cabin where his daughters and parents were staying — about 30 meters away.

Halfway there, a wave smashed him against a support beam.

“I pointed the flashlight toward the river and saw whitewater everywhere,” RJ recalled. “I’ve kayaked a lot, and I knew then — reaching the cabin was impossible.”

He noticed another cabin had already been ripped from its foundation and pinned against the one where his daughters and parents were.

“Cars were floating toward me. Trees, too. I knew if I tried one more paddle stroke, I’d die.”

Beautiful Memories Now Filled with Sorrow

RJ returned to help his wife and the other families. They eventually reached a house on higher ground, where a family let them inside around 3:45 a.m.

Only then did he check his phone — and found a message from Brooke, sent at 3:30 a.m. In an area where phone service was rare, receiving that message felt miraculous. It simply read:

“I love you, Dad.”

Annie, 43, who works at St. Rita Catholic School, where both girls were students, also received texts from both Brooke and Blair at exactly 3:30 a.m. They said:

“I love you, Mom.”

The girls’ grandfather in Michigan also received a message: “Love you, Grandpa,” accompanied by a photo of the girls with him.

The Harbers and several other families waited in silence through the terrifying night. There was no power — only the horrific sounds outside. It wasn’t until morning that they realized those sounds were cabins being torn from their foundations and swept away.

When daylight finally broke and the water receded, RJ returned to the scene. Of more than 20 cabins in the community, only a few dozen remained standing. The rest had been completely washed away — including the one where Blair, Brooke, and their grandparents had been.

Lives Lost, and Still Missing

The bodies of Blair and Brooke were later recovered — found and identified about 20 kilometers downstream. As of July 6, Mike and Charlene Harber had not yet been found.

The Harber family had owned their Casa Bonita cabin since 2020. It was a cherished place — a spot for kayaking, fishing, and making memories.

“Tragically,” RJ said, “all those beautiful memories are now marked by sorrow.”

As of July 8, the floods in Texas had lasted for five days, with at least 104 confirmed deaths. That number may still rise, as authorities continue their tireless search for those still missing.