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Arab News
12-07-2025
- General
- Arab News
Memorial in flood-ravaged Texas city becomes focal point of community's grief
KERRVILLE: A chain-link fence that separates Water Street in the center of Kerrville from the Guadalupe River just a few hundred feet away has become a makeshift memorial, with the flower-covered stretch serving as a focal point for a grieving community. As survivors in hard-hit Kerr County begin to bury their dead, the memorial has grown, covered with laminated photographs of victims of last-week's deadly flood that roared through camps and homes, killing at least 120 people. 'I just feel like this is a beautiful remembrance of the individuals that were lost here,' said Brooklyn Thomas, 27, who graduated from high school in Kerrville with Julian Ryan, a resident of nearby Ingram who died in the flood trying to save his family. 'I think it's something really cool for the community to come to see, to remember their loved ones, to share memories if they want to.' Thomas and her family affixed flowers to the wall near a picture of Ryan. The smell of fresh-cut flowers hung in the air as people placed candles and other mementos along the sidewalk next to the fence. Signs hanging from the fence read 'Hill Country Strong' and featured an outline of Texas filled with rolling green hills. A large Texas flag stood on one end of the memorial, flapping in the breeze. Debi Leos, who grew up in the Hill Country town of Junction, said she stopped by the memorial to leave flowers in honor of Richard 'Dick' Eastland, the beloved director of Camp Mystic who died trying to save some of the young girls at his camp. 'Hill Country is near and dear to me, and we came down here to pay our respects,' Leos said. 'As a parent, I can only imagine what the families are going through.' Friday evening, about 300 people showed up at the memorial for a vigil with speakers that included faith leaders and some who told harrowing tales of narrowly escaping the flood. Michelle McGuire said she woke up July 4 at her apartment in Hunt, Texas, to find her bed and nightstand floating and quickly found herself in deep flood waters, clinging to a tree for life. 'Thank God I'm a good swimmer,' she said. 'I didn't want my mom to have to bury me.' Marc Steele, bishop-elect of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, said the memorial has become a place where people of all different faiths and backgrounds can come together and share their grief. 'We like to take opportunities like this to come together and pray to God,' Steele said, 'and also Sunday mornings we come together and worship in prayer for our sorrow and thanksgiving for lives that were saved.'
Al Arabiya
12-07-2025
- General
- Al Arabiya
Memorial In Flood-Ravaged Texas City Becomes Focal Point Of Community's Grief
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) – A chain-link fence that separates Water Street in the center of Kerrville from the Guadalupe River, just a few hundred feet away, has become a makeshift memorial, with the flower-covered stretch serving as a focal point for a grieving community. As survivors in hard-hit Kerr County begin to bury their dead, the memorial has grown, covered with laminated photographs of victims of last week's deadly flood that roared through camps and homes, killing at least 120 people. 'I just feel like this is a beautiful remembrance of the individuals that were lost here,' said Brooklyn Thomas, 27, who graduated from high school in Kerrville with Julian Ryan, a resident of nearby Ingram who died in the flood trying to save his family. 'I think it's something really cool for the community to come to see, to remember their loved ones, to share memories if they want to.' Thomas and her family affixed flowers to the wall near a picture of Ryan. The smell of fresh-cut flowers hung in the air as people placed candles and other mementos along the sidewalk next to the fence. Signs hanging from the fence read 'Hill Country Strong' and featured an outline of Texas filled with rolling green hills. A large Texas flag stood on one end of the memorial, flapping in the breeze. Debi Leos, who grew up in the Hill Country town of Junction, said she stopped by the memorial to leave flowers in honor of Richard 'Dick' Eastland, the beloved director of Camp Mystic who died trying to save some of the young girls at his camp. 'Hill Country is near and dear to me, and we came down here to pay our respects,' Leos said. 'As a parent, I can only imagine what the families are going through.' Friday evening, about 300 people showed up at the memorial for a vigil with speakers that included faith leaders and some who told harrowing tales of narrowly escaping the flood. Michelle McGuire said she woke up July 4 at her apartment in Hunt, Texas, to find her bed and nightstand floating and quickly found herself in deep flood waters, clinging to a tree for life. 'Thank God I'm a good swimmer,' she said. 'I didn't want my mom to have to bury me.' Marc Steele, bishop-elect of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, said the memorial has become a place where people of all different faiths and backgrounds can come together and share their grief. 'We like to take opportunities like this to come together and pray to God,' Steele said, 'and also Sunday mornings we come together and worship in prayer for our sorrow and thanksgiving for lives that were saved.'
The Independent
12-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
Memorial in flood-ravaged Texas city becomes focal point of community's grief
A chain-link fence that separates Water Street in the center of Kerrville from the Guadalupe River just a few hundred feet away has become a makeshift memorial, with the flower-covered stretch serving as a focal point for a grieving community. As survivors in hard-hit Kerr County begin to bury their dead, the memorial has grown, covered with laminated photographs of victims of last-week's deadly flood that roared through camps and homes, killing at least 120 people. 'I just feel like this is a beautiful remembrance of the individuals that were lost here,' said Brooklyn Thomas, 27, who graduated from high school in Kerrville with Julian Ryan, a resident of nearby Ingram who died in the flood trying to save his family. 'I think it's something really cool for the community to come to see, to remember their loved ones, to share memories if they want to.' Thomas and her family affixed flowers to the wall near a picture of Ryan. The smell of fresh-cut flowers hung in the air as people placed candles and other mementos along the sidewalk next to the fence. Signs hanging from the fence read 'Hill Country Strong' and featured an outline of Texas filled with rolling green hills. A large Texas flag stood on one end of the memorial, flapping in the breeze. Debi Leos, who grew up in the Hill Country town of Junction, said she stopped by the memorial to leave flowers in honor of Richard 'Dick' Eastland, the beloved director of Camp Mystic who died trying to save some of the young girls at his camp. 'Hill Country is near and dear to me, and we came down here to pay our respects,' Leos said. 'As a parent, I can only imagine what the families are going through.' Friday evening, about 300 people showed up at the memorial for a vigil with speakers that included faith leaders and some who told harrowing tales of narrowly escaping the flood. Michelle McGuire said she woke up July 4 at her apartment in Hunt, Texas, to find her bed and nightstand floating and quickly found herself in deep flood waters, clinging to a tree for life. 'Thank God I'm a good swimmer,' she said. 'I didn't want my mom to have to bury me.' Marc Steele, bishop-elect of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, said the memorial has become a place where people of all different faiths and backgrounds can come together and share their grief. 'We like to take opportunities like this to come together and pray to God,' Steele said, 'and also Sunday mornings we come together and worship in prayer for our sorrow and thanksgiving for lives that were saved.'
Associated Press
12-07-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Memorial in flood-ravaged Texas city becomes focal point of community's grief
KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — A chain-link fence that separates Water Street in the center of Kerrville from the Guadalupe River just a few hundred feet away has become a makeshift memorial, with the flower-covered stretch serving as a focal point for a grieving community. As survivors in hard-hit Kerr County begin to bury their dead, the memorial has grown, covered with laminated photographs of victims of last-week's deadly flood that roared through camps and homes, killing at least 120 people. 'I just feel like this is a beautiful remembrance of the individuals that were lost here,' said Brooklyn Thomas, 27, who graduated from high school in Kerrville with Julian Ryan, a resident of nearby Ingram who died in the flood trying to save his family. 'I think it's something really cool for the community to come to see, to remember their loved ones, to share memories if they want to.' Thomas and her family affixed flowers to the wall near a picture of Ryan. The smell of fresh-cut flowers hung in the air as people placed candles and other mementos along the sidewalk next to the fence. Signs hanging from the fence read 'Hill Country Strong' and featured an outline of Texas filled with rolling green hills. A large Texas flag stood on one end of the memorial, flapping in the breeze. Debi Leos, who grew up in the Hill Country town of Junction, said she stopped by the memorial to leave flowers in honor of Richard 'Dick' Eastland, the beloved director of Camp Mystic who died trying to save some of the young girls at his camp. 'Hill Country is near and dear to me, and we came down here to pay our respects,' Leos said. 'As a parent, I can only imagine what the families are going through.' Friday evening, about 300 people showed up at the memorial for a vigil with speakers that included faith leaders and some who told harrowing tales of narrowly escaping the flood. Michelle McGuire said she woke up July 4 at her apartment in Hunt, Texas, to find her bed and nightstand floating and quickly found herself in deep flood waters, clinging to a tree for life. 'Thank God I'm a good swimmer,' she said. 'I didn't want my mom to have to bury me.' Marc Steele, bishop-elect of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, said the memorial has become a place where people of all different faiths and backgrounds can come together and share their grief. 'We like to take opportunities like this to come together and pray to God,' Steele said, 'and also Sunday mornings we come together and worship in prayer for our sorrow and thanksgiving for lives that were saved.'
Scottish Sun
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
Dad's agonizing last words to wife & kids after he suffered fatal injury helping them escape Texas floods on a mattress
As he bled out, others tried calling 911, but help never came TRAGIC FINAL ACT Dad's agonizing last words to wife & kids after he suffered fatal injury helping them escape Texas floods on a mattress Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A DAD-of two bled to death after nearly severing his arm while trying to rescue his fiancée, kids, and mother from a trailer swamped by deadly Texas floodwaters. Julian Ryan, 27, punched out a trailer window to help his family escape as water surged into their home at 4 am on July 4. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Julian Ryan bled to death after smashing a window to save his family to escape flood Credit: Facebook 5 Julian, a restaurant dishwasher, was asleep in a trailer Credit: KHOU11 5 Julian and Christinia with their two kids Credit: KHOU11 His injury was catastrophic, but his only concern was for his loved ones. 'I'm sorry, I'm not going to make it. I love y'all,' Julian told them with his final breath, his fiancée Christinia Wilson said. The dad-of-two lost consciousness and died after severing an artery, but not before getting his family to safety. The horror unfolded in Ingram, central Texas, where devastating flash floods have killed more than 100 people and left dozens missing. READ MORE ON NEWS FLOOD CHAOS Terrifying vids show flash floods surging through Italian towns leaving 1 dead Julian, a restaurant dishwasher, was asleep in a trailer with his fiancée, their 6-year-old and 13-month-old children, and his mother Marilyn when the flood hit early Friday. Water began pouring into their bedroom, quickly rising to waist height and lifting the mattress. Christina said the kids were placed on top of the floating mattress while the adults looked for a way out. Julian smashed the glass window to reach the roof, but the jagged edges nearly severed his arm. As he bled out, others tried calling 911, but help never came. The trailer broke apart from the force of the floodwaters, and the rest of the family managed to escape. Devastating floods hit New Mexico as houses swept away in deluge after Texas death toll climbs to 111 with 173 missing 'He died trying to save us… He was the best father and was always such a happy person who was never above helping people," Christinia told KHOU. A GoFundMe set up by relatives said Julian gave his life "passing as a true hero.' Nearly $30,000 has been raised. The disaster was triggered by surging water from the Guadalupe River that tore through cabins, campsites, and homes across several counties. At Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp for girls, dozens of children were swept away. Donald Trump's statement on Texas floods "The Trump Administration is working with State and Local Officials on the ground in Texas in response to the tragic flooding that took place yesterday. "Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will be there shortly. "Melania and I are praying for all of the families impacted by this horrible tragedy. "Our Brave First Responders are on site doing what they do best. GOD BLESS THE FAMILIES, AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!" Eight-year-old twin sisters Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence from Dallas were among the dead. They had just finished second grade. Their parents said they were "devastated," and that the girls brought endless joy to their family, Associated Press reported. Mary Grace Baker, another young camper, was also killed. Her school described her as a 'bright light' known for her kindness and contagious giggle. Pink ribbons were tied to trees in her honor at St. Anne Catholic School in Beaumont. What we know so far... At least 111 people lost their lives and a further 173 people are still missing Weather forecasts show there's a chance for more rain today in Texas Hill Country At least three people have died in flash flooding in Ruidoso, New Mexico Families of Camp Mystic girls were sent a chilling note letting them know if their daughters lived or died Haunting pictures show empty bunks after 27 girls and counselors were killed Trump is set to visit Texas on Friday as Karoline Leavitt hits back at 'depraved lie' against US President Dad dies in floods after refusing to let go of still-missing sons Other victims include the niece of the Kansas City Chiefs' owners, and sisters who were found dead with their hands locked together Joyce Badon, a 21-year-old student at Savannah College of Art and Design, died while staying at a river house with friends. Her mom said one friend called during the flood, but the phone went dead after Joyce was heard speaking. Married couple James and Cindy Rushing also drowned while camping near the river. Their daughter later found their entire site wiped clean. Pers and Ruffin Boyett, two brothers at a nearby boys' camp, swam to safety after water rose to the top bunk in their cabin. As of Wednesday, the death toll has climbed to 111, with 173 missing. 5 At least 111 people lost their lives and a further 173 people are still missing Credit: Getty
