The tragedy in Texas continues to unfold as the aftermath of a catastrophic flash flood caused by the Guadalupe River’s sudden surge devastates the region. The death toll has tragically climbed past 100, with at least 30 of the victims being children.

As horrifying accounts of destruction and loss emerge, there are also stories of survival—of people who managed to cling to life despite the odds. One such survivor is 19-year-old Leo Romero Jr., who now recounts the terrifying moment he believed he was going to die.

The flash flooding has claimed the lives of at least 110 individuals across Texas. The hardest-hit area is Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River burst beyond its limits and unleashed a destructive wall of water. Among the victims were both counselors and campers from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls. Sadly, many children and adults are still unaccounted for, and rescue teams continue their efforts to locate the missing.

President Donald Trump responded to the disaster by signing a declaration for federal assistance in the area. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), along with local authorities, first responders, and volunteers, are actively working on the ground. Their mission is twofold: to continue the search and rescue operations and to offer support to grieving families who have lost loved ones in this unimaginable disaster.

“We will not stop until every missing person is accounted for,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated during a press conference on Tuesday. “There’s a strong possibility that the number of victims may still rise.”

While communities grapple with grief, questions are surfacing about the effectiveness of flood warnings in the lead-up to the tragedy. Many are asking if more could have been done to prevent such loss of life. However, Governor Abbott pushed back against attempts to assign blame, calling it “the rod choice of losers.” He used a football metaphor to make his point.

“Every football team makes mistakes,” Abbott said, according to the New York Post. “But the losing teams are the ones that focus on pointing fingers. The championship teams step up and say, ‘Don’t worry, ma’am, we’ve got this.’”

Abbott emphasized that officials were aware of the possibility of severe flash flooding days before it hit Kerr County. Precautionary resources were deployed in advance, but the scale of the flood caught everyone off guard.

“We were prepared with assets on the ground to respond quickly,” Abbott explained. “But nobody expected a 30-foot-high tsunami wall of water. That’s the kind of thing you simply can’t fully anticipate.”

“All I can say is, based on the information we had—and the state had—we acted. That information prompted us to begin preparing two days before the flooding actually occurred,” he added.

Survivors and eyewitnesses have begun to share harrowing accounts. Some tell of parents swept away with their children. Others speak of ordinary people who risked and, in some cases, gave their lives trying to save strangers. Amid these stories of heartbreak are also the voices of those who somehow made it through.

One of those survivors is 19-year-old Leo Romero Jr., who spoke with San Antonio-based news station KSAT. He is currently recovering at Peterson Regional Medical Center in Kerrville. Romero was inside his home with his father, stepmother, and 2-year-old brother when disaster struck. Their house was torn from its foundation by the overwhelming force of the flood, and his family was swept away in the current.

“I thought that was it,” Romero said. “I don’t want to say I accepted it, but I really believed I was going to die.”

Romero recalled that he didn’t sleep the night of July 3. Around 6:00 a.m. on the Fourth of July, he began to hear the sound of water rushing beneath their home. At first, the water hadn’t entered the house, but Romero sensed something wasn’t right. He quickly woke his family.

“It was bad, but none of us expected it to get that bad,” he said. His father instructed everyone to climb onto the couch and hold onto the curtains for safety. As the water rose rapidly, his father held the toddler above his head to keep him out of danger. Then, chaos erupted.

Romero explained that he hit his head as the house collapsed around them, and in an instant, everything changed.

“The next thing I knew, the house was gone. I was in the water. I think I hit a lot of debris—pieces of homes, trees, and who knows what else.”

He was trapped in the floodwaters for four long hours before firefighters finally reached him. Since that moment, he has had no contact with his family and doesn’t know their fate.

“We’ve got the whole family out there searching,” Romero said. “Neighbors are helping too. I’m thankful I made it, but it’s painful not knowing anything about what happened to my dad, stepmom, and little brother.”

As the floodwaters surged, Romero made the split-second decision to leave his mother a voicemail, unsure if he would survive.

“Te amo, mami,” he said—Spanish for “I love you, mom.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this devastating flood. We also extend our deepest gratitude to the countless first responders, volunteers, and neighbors who are working tirelessly to search for the missing and support grieving families. Their courage and compassion bring hope in one of the darkest moments Texas has faced.