“We’re being washed away.” These were the last words 21-year-old Joyce Badon managed to text her family before floodwaters consumed the Texas home where she was staying with three friends. The heartbreaking message came as historic flooding turned the Guadalupe River into a deadly force during the July 4th weekend.
The waters rose with shocking speed, reaching heights comparable to a two-story building in under an hour. The disaster has left at least 107 dead across six counties, with many victims being children from a Christian summer camp. Dozens more remain missing as search teams face the monumental task of combing through miles of devastated landscape.
Joyce had been enjoying a holiday getaway at a riverside farmhouse with friends Ella, Reese and Aiden when tragedy struck. Their final phone call with Aiden’s father captured the chaos as the house was torn apart by floodwaters. Joyce’s parents later joined volunteers searching the area, making grim discoveries that included the body of a young boy caught in the debris.
After days of anguish, Joyce’s remains were found on July 7th. Her mother Kellye shared her grief on social media, posting a symbolic rainbow over their home. While Reese has since been recovered, the fates of Ella and Aiden remain unknown as the community continues to grapple with the scale of this tragedy.
