Against all Odds Survival Stories

Deya

SF UIP
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USA West
Share stories about anyone surviving current disasters, anywhere worldwide.

A Texas mother is speaking out after her two sons miraculously survived the catastrophic floods that have claimed at least 89 lives. Braeden Davis, 9, and Brock Davis, 7, had only been at Camp La Junta in Hunt, Kerr County for a day when torrential rains triggered the Guadalupe River to overflow on the morning of July 4.
Keli Rabon, their mother, recalls how Brock was trapped in a flooded cabin with 11 other boys and two counselors. He climbed to the rafters for safety and escaped wearing only his shorts. He lost everything — including his beloved blue blanket he’s had since birth.
While Braeden’s cabin, located on higher ground, remained untouched, he spent the day unaware of his younger brother’s fate. His cabin served as a safe zone where boys gathered, played games, and tried to stay calm amidst chaos.
With the dining hall destroyed, the boys had little food or water. The National Guard dropped snack bars and applesauce until the children were taken to a church in Kerrville for reunification.
Rabon first heard of the flooding through a text from the camp, but only grasped the severity after a follow-up message mentioned the loss of power and communication. She rushed from Houston, a four-hour drive, to be reunited with her sons. Her ex-husband arrived before her.
Torn between relief and sorrow, Rabon says, “My heart was bursting with gratitude to see my boys… but it ached deeply for the families who weren’t so fortunate.”
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There are those more interested in trying to find someone, some agency, some politician, just anyone to blame rather than understanding what happened. The enormous power of this storm could not have been predicted. Why people live in that area, come to camp along the river, send their kids to summer camp, etc., doesn't make sense to folks that don't understand the Hill Country of Texas. Why do folks live in tornado alleys, earthquake zones, the banks of the Mississippi, its Delta, the Artic Circle, along The Ring of Fire, tropical islands, the Florida Keys, and hurricane areas that are hit yearly? The answer is simple, it is home and in many cases families have been there for generations.


 
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People may live in a high risk area because of their jobs. I ended up in tornado alley twice because of that. We didn’t stick our heads in the sand and hope for the best.

We bought a weather radio to wake us up and keep us aware as well as putting all the kids bedrooms in the basement with daylight walk out windows with a ladder.

Since the river is known to flood the owners had a responsibility to take every safety precaution. They also needed an emergency plan and to have their counselors trained, and what to do in such an emergency.
 
People may live in a high risk area because of their jobs. I ended up in tornado alley twice because of that. We didn’t stick our heads in the sand and hope for the best.

We bought a weather radio to wake us up and keep us aware as well as putting all the kids bedrooms in the basement with daylight walk out windows with a ladder.

Since the river is known to flood the owners had a responsibility to take every safety precaution. They also needed an emergency plan and to have their counselors trained, and what to do in such an emergency.
No one in Hill Country is sticking their head in the sand. They are among the most prepared people I have even been around.

All of what you say is what was in place and what they did, however the depth and velocity of the water was something they or no one expected. They were prepared based on past floods. Remember the Girls Camp Mystic is just a very small part of the disaster that hit Hill Country. People died all over the area, even ones that lived out of the known flood zone.

To understand what happened, one needs to know and understand the Hill Country. I grew up there and still have relatives by the dozens there. You must understand that what was once considered safe high ground, flooded. In a normal flood, I doubt anyone would have died, even in Camp Mystic, since they were prepared for floods based on past years.

The Texas governor has already formed a committee to study what improvements can be made and everyone can rest assured they will be made.

Please watch the videos posted above. The Texas Hill Country folks are not as careless and ignorant as some media wants to paint them. When discussing this disaster, remember it was a result of a freak super cell that formed without notice, leaving the community a very small response window.

All the early media fault finding, especially with the weather service and first responders, has been proven false.
 

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