Latest news with #RJHarber
The Sun
07-07-2025
- General
- The Sun
Sisters, 11 & 13, found dead with ‘hands locked together' after being swept 15 miles by floods as dad tried to save them
TWO young girls were found dead with their hands interlocked after raging floods ravaged Texas communities, killing dozens of people. Sisters Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, were on a trip with family in Hunt, Texas, when intense late-night flooding took place suddenly on Friday. 5 5 RJ Harber, the father, was awoken suddenly in his cabin at about 3:30 am to the sounds of rushing water in the home. Right around the same time, daughter Brooke texted her grandparents and father and said that she loved them. As the cabin flooded, RJ and wife Annie attempted to break a window to check on their daughters, who were staying with their grandparents in a cabin five houses down with two dogs. "At that point the water was rising one foot per minute," a GoFundMe for the family read. "The waters were too high to get to our family so he went to other neighbors to borrow a kayak." RJ was unable to reach the cabin in the kayak due to the rough conditions. He then fled to a nearby house with other survivors alongside his wife as the freezing waters had reached chin level. 5 "Houses started falling apart and floating away," Jennifer Harber, the victims' aunt, said. "I believe only 4 or 6 are left standing out of 20 houses in that community." Just 12 hours later, Brooke and Blair were found dead around 15 miles away. The girls were still holding each others hands when their bodies were located. Dad dies after having arm 'almost cut clean off' while saving wife & kids as they floated on mattress in Texas floods Their grandparents who were staying with them that night, Mike and Charlene Harber, are still missing. The sole survivor of the cabin found was the family's lab, who shockingly made it out of a window and found the parents at the house up the hill. The other dog also did not make it. "They were believers and one of their favorite classes was religion," Jennifer said of the girls. Message from Harber Family From Jennifer Harber: "My brother and his wife Annie identified the bodies of my nieces Blair age 13 and Brooke age 11 yesterday afternoon about 12 hours after the flood that started the morning of July 4th at 3:30am. My parents Mike and Charlene Harber have not been found as of now. Prayers are needed so we can bring them home. "My brother R.J. and Annie made it back to Dallas yesterday evening. "The storm woke them up at 3:30am and they wanted R.J. to walk five houses down towards the river in their gated community of Casa Bonita in Hunt, TX. to check on the girls who they had tucked in bed that night at 11pm. My parents were downstairs in the guest bedroom and my nieces were upstairs in the loft. My mom, dad and nieces stayed at that house because the house they owned was a one bedroom and the neighbors were kind enough to let them stay there since they were out of town. To my brothers surprise when he stepped out of bed their house had already started to flood. They said you couldn't hear it at all because the rain was so loud. If they had not woken up to check on the girls they would have drowned too. It's a miracle they got out they had to break a window and get out immediately. At that point the water was rising one foot per minute. The waters were too high to get to our family so he went to other neighbors to borrow a kayak. He woke two neighbors up for help saved their lives and borrowed a kayak but the water had risen too high to reach the neighbors house that my parents and nieces and their 2 dogs were at. He attempted by kayak and the house was only 5 houses down closest to the river but the waters were too rough. He knew he would be swept away there were white caps on the waves so kayaked back to where the other 6 survivors were. Rain pouring, loud thunder and lightning they had nightgowns on. Transmitters were going off everywhere. It was pitch dark. By the time they got out the water was up to Annie's chin. They said they were surprised they didn't have hypothermia it was freezing waters. RJ, Annie and the other 5 they woke somehow made it to a house on the other side of the flooded highway and strangers let all 7 in. Somehow their lab made it out of the window and I don't know how but found them across the flooded highway up the hill at that house. Their other dog did not make it. Shortly after they crossed the highway the houses in their gated community were swept away as were cars. Trees uprooted. Very shortly after they crossed the flooded highway houses started falling apart and floating away and I believe only 4 or 6 are left standing out of 20 houses in that community. "Brooke texted my brother, her Grandmother and Grandfather on Annie's side saying I love you at 3:30am. My nieces were upstairs in the loft. They were believers and one of their favorite classes was religion. Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them. Their bodies were found yesterday afternoon 15 miles away in Kerrville. When they were found their hands were locked together. "What RJ and Annie went through that morning was a nightmare. They were rescued that afternoon but were stuck in Hunt the Coast Guard couldn't even get to them. Annie was rescued by helicopter and I think RJ attempted another way earlier to get help. "I'm a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines and my amazing company is going to fly my nieces home from San Antonio after their autopsy and when they recover my parents their bodies too. "Brook and Blair will have a joint funeral at St. Rita. To be determined. We haven't even had time to figure out my parents. We need find them first. "We are beyond devastated and so heartbroken. Prayers are much appreciated and what we needed at this time. "Please help us find my parents so we can have closure and bring them home. Thank you." Source: GoFundMe "Blair and I had a conversation about God and heaven two weeks earlier. They had their rosaries with them." So far, the family's GoFundMe has raised over $177,300 of its $200,000 goal, with over 1,400 donations. The floods have killed over 80 people, with the number expected to rise as bodies are recovered. At least 28 of those deaths are children. One of the biggest tragedies of the flood occurred at Camp Mystic, a girls summer camp where at least 27 campers and counsellors were killed as water overflowed from the Guadalupe River. Some still remain missing. 5 5 "We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls," the camp wrote to its website. "We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from community, first responders, and officials at every level." The director of the camp, Richard Eastland, was among the dead. As first responders continue their search and clean up after the disaster, rain is expected to hit the state again on Monday, possibly complicating efforts. "We continue our 24/7 search & rescue operation until every missing person is found," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on X Sunday. "It's crucial that Texans remain vigilant."
Sky News
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Texas flash flooding: Dozens killed; girl, eight, 'living her best life' named among victims
We're pausing our live coverage We are pausing our live coverage on the devastating flash floods in Texas - thank you for following along. Rescued girl 'was on a mattress for hours' Texas Congressman Chip Roy has said that a girl was stuck on a mattress for hours before she was rescued. "One of my kids' schoolmates was missing. She was on a mattress for two to three hours in the middle of the night. She was reunited with her mom, and that's wonderful," he told reporters at a news conference. "These are the kind of blessings we should be celebrating while also mourning the loss of life as we identify those who didn't make it." Texas governor declares 'day of prayer' Greg Abbott has asked Texans to "join me in prayer" for those affected by the devastating floods. Two sisters died in Kerr County flooding, with grandparents still missing - reports Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, have died after going missing during the flash floods in Kerr County, their father told CNN. RJ Harber said his parents, Charlene and Mike Harber, are still missing, but he believes that they are also dead. Blair was a "gifted student and had a generous kind heart", while her sister Brooke "was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment", their father said. In pictures: Campers reunited with their families Campers and staff from one of the camps on the Guadalupe River, Camp Waldemar, have been reunited with their families. People were seen embracing their loved ones, with some shedding tears, at a reunification area. Unknown number of people missing Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said there could be more people missing in the region than the 27 girls unaccounted for from Camp Mystic. "We are kind of looking at this in two ways, called the known missing, which is the 27... We will not put a number on the other side because we just don't know," he said at a news conference. He said "hundreds" have been rescued from campsites around the Guadalupe River so far, and searches are ongoing. Authorities in Travis County said at least 13 people are missing. In Burnet County, a firefighter was among the missing after he was swept away by floodwaters while responding to a rescue, county Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio said. Some of the deadliest floods to hit the US in the last 25 years Flooding causes an average of more than 125 deaths a year, according to the National Weather Service. Here's some of the most deadly flooding to have occurred in the last 25 years... Hurricane Helene, 2024 Helene struck Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia in September 2024. The storm caused about 250 deaths, according to the National Weather Service. Kentucky, 2022 Raging floodwaters in eastern Kentucky led to 45 deaths in late July. The floods destroyed homes and businesses and caused significant damage to schools, roads, bridges and water systems. Tennessee, 2021 Twenty people were killed when creeks near the small Middle Tennessee town of Waverly overflowed, following 43cm of rainfall in less than 24 hours. Hurricane Harvey, 2017 Harvey killed at least 68 people when it swept into Texas in August 2017. All but three of the Harvey deaths were directly attributed to freshwater flooding, which damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage. West Virginia, 2016 It began as a rainstorm that seemed minor, but turned into a catastrophe that trapped dozens of people, ultimately killing 23 in the state. Superstorm Sandy, 2012 Sandy was a freak combination of a hurricane and other storms that struck New York and the surrounding areas in October 2012. It killed 147 people. Hurricane Katrina, 2005 This was the deadliest flood event in the past 25 years. Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damages, with people having to be rescued by boat and helicopter from rooftops. Death toll rises to 51 At least 43 people have been killed in the flash flooding in Kerr County, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference. This includes at least 15 children and 28 adults, with five children and 12 adults pending identification. In nearby Kendall County, one person has died. At least four people were killed in Travis County, while at least two people died in Burnet County. A 62-year-old woman died in the city of San Angelo in Tom Green County. Tanya Burwick's body was found "several blocks" from her flooded car, local police said in a statement. Congressman 'reunited' with daughters evacuated from Camp Mystic Rep. August Pfluger said his daughters Caroline and Juliana were evacuated from Camp Mystic and "reunited" with his family. In pictures: It is now 12 hours since flash floods swept across Kerr County This is what it looks like on the ground.
Sky News
06-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Texas flash flooding: At least 51 people killed; girl, eight, 'living her best life' named among victims
Two sisters died in Kerr County flooding, with grandparents still missing - reports Blair, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, have died after going missing during the flash floods in Kerr County, their father told CNN. RJ Harber said his parents, Charlene and Mike Harber, are still missing, but he believes that they are also dead. Blair was a "gifted student and had a generous kind heart", while her sister Brooke "was like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment", their father said. In pictures: Campers reunited with their families Campers and staff from one of the camps on the Guadalupe River, Camp Waldemar, have been reunited with their families. People were seen embracing their loved ones, with some shedding tears, at a reunification area. Unknown number of people missing Kerrville city manager Dalton Rice said there could be more people missing in the region than the 27 girls unaccounted for from Camp Mystic. "We are kind of looking at this in two ways, called the known missing, which is the 27... We will not put a number on the other side because we just don't know," he said at a news conference. He said "hundreds" have been rescued from campsites around the Guadalupe River so far, and searches are ongoing. Authorities in Travis County said at least 13 people are missing. In Burnet County, a firefighter was among the missing after he was swept away by floodwaters while responding to a rescue, county Emergency Management Coordinator Derek Marchio said. Some of the deadliest floods to hit the US in the last 25 years Flooding causes an average of more than 125 deaths a year, according to the National Weather Service. Here's some of the most deadly flooding to have occurred in the last 25 years... Hurricane Helene, 2024 Helene struck Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia in September 2024. The storm caused about 250 deaths, according to the National Weather Service. Kentucky, 2022 Raging floodwaters in eastern Kentucky led to 45 deaths in late July. The floods destroyed homes and businesses and caused significant damage to schools, roads, bridges and water systems. Tennessee, 2021 Twenty people were killed when creeks near the small Middle Tennessee town of Waverly overflowed, following 43cm of rainfall in less than 24 hours. Hurricane Harvey, 2017 Harvey killed at least 68 people when it swept into Texas in August 2017. All but three of the Harvey deaths were directly attributed to freshwater flooding, which damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage. West Virginia, 2016 It began as a rainstorm that seemed minor, but turned into a catastrophe that trapped dozens of people, ultimately killing 23 in the state. Superstorm Sandy, 2012 Sandy was a freak combination of a hurricane and other storms that struck New York and the surrounding areas in October 2012. It killed 147 people. Hurricane Katrina, 2005 This was the deadliest flood event in the past 25 years. Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damages, with people having to be rescued by boat and helicopter from rooftops. Death toll rises to 51 At least 43 people have been killed in the flash flooding in Kerr County, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said at a news conference. This includes at least 15 children and 28 adults, with five children and 12 adults pending identification. In nearby Kendall County, one person has died. At least four people were killed in Travis County, while at least two people died in Burnet County. A 62-year-old woman died in the city of San Angelo in Tom Green County. Tanya Burwick's body was found "several blocks" from her flooded car, local police said in a statement. Congressman 'reunited' with daughters evacuated from Camp Mystic Rep. August Pfluger said his daughters Caroline and Juliana were evacuated from Camp Mystic and "reunited" with his family. In pictures: It is now 12 hours since flash floods swept across Kerr County This is what it looks like on the ground. What we learned from the latest news conference There wasn't a huge amount of news to come out of this evening's press conference, apart from an update on the number of people who have died. Gov. Greg Abbott was accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, as well as a number of Texas officials. The group spent most of the news conference praising the response of the local community, as well as reiterating promises to continue searching for victims. There was clear frustration from viewers watching the live link at the lack of information coming through. It was only confirmed at the end, in response to a reporter's question, that 32 people have died, with eight of the recovered bodies currently unidentified. Some 850 people have been rescued. But officials warned these numbers will continue to change. More than 1,300 people have been brought in to help deal with the emergency disaster response. Secretary Noem also answered questions about whether the flash flood warnings came through promptly: "We know that everyone wants more warning time and that is why we are working to upgrade the technologies that have been neglected for far too long." Gov. Abbott also talked about the importance of prayer. "Prayer does work," he said, adding that they "could have been the reason why water stopped rising into a home or a cabin, or something that would have caused an entire building to float away." 32 dead in Texas flooding More bodies have been recovered from the flash flooding. Thirty-two bodies have been recovered, 14 of which are children. Of those, five adults and three children remain unidentified. "The numbers are going to continue to change until we are done," says Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha. Chief Nim Kidd says there is still an active search for live victims. "That will turn into recovery at some point, and none of us wants to put a timeframe on that," he adds. It is still not known exactly how many people are currently missing. More than 850 people saved so far, 'some clinging to trees' Rescuers have saved more than 850 people, Gov. Abbott says. "Some clinging to trees to save their lives," he adds. Senator John Cornyn is speaking next. He also praises the first responders. Watch Gov. Abbott sign the disaster declaration below...
