21-year-old’s final text before Texas flood tragedy exposed.
Over 100 people are confirmed dead after flash floods tore through Central Texas in the early hours of July 4.
Central Texas flood nightmare explained.
Waters rose a shocking 26 feet in just 45 minutes, turning homes, roads, and camps into disaster zones.
Emergency responders are continuing desperate search and rescue operations, hoping to find the dozens still missing.
Among the dead are 27 campers and counselors from the all-girls Christian Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas.
Kerr County reports the highest number of casualties at 84, a jump from the previously reported 68.
Locals were blindsided as rising waters consumed everything in their path with barely any time to escape.
What’s normally a scenic spot for tubing and retreats turned into a deadly, fast-moving torrent.
Residents said there was little to no time to react—phones buzzed with alerts even as homes were already filling with water.
For many, the final texts and voicemails are all that remain of loved ones caught in the storm.
With so many fatalities, questions are mounting about early warning systems and emergency response.
The sheer speed and force of the flash flood shocked even seasoned weather officials.
Texas sees flash floods often, but a death toll of 104 is almost unheard of, officials say.
Joyce Badon’s last text message confirmed.
Grieving parents Ty and Kellye Badon have come forward, revealing their 21-year-old daughter’s final message before the flood took her life.
Joyce’s last words, sent via text at 4 a.m., read chillingly: “We’re being washed away.” Moments later, her phone went silent.
Joyce was found days later by volunteer searchers, her body recovered near a house that collapsed into the raging Guadalupe River.
Her mother, Kellye, posted a Facebook tribute: “We found our lovely daughter who blessed us for 21 years!”
Louis Deppe, leading volunteer efforts, confirmed Joyce had been with college friends when the house gave way.
The group had been staying in a riverside home over the holiday weekend, completely unaware of what was barreling their way.
The iconic Christian summer camp, known for its serenity and sisterhood, now sits in ruins with 27 lives confirmed lost.
Even Camp Mystic’s director, Dick Eastland, is among those confirmed dead—a loss shaking the camp’s close-knit community.
Joyce’s three college friends are still missing, with Kellye Badon asking for continued prayers and support.
Devastation of floods highlighted.
Search teams, like the one that found Joyce, include volunteers from as far as neighboring states.
A college senior, Joyce was described as bright, driven, and beloved by friends and professors alike.
She was planning to start graduate school in the fall. Her parents say she was “light in human form.”
“She had this huge, contagious laugh,” said one of her classmates. “You could hear it across the quad.”
Entire families were swept away, and many small towns are mourning multiple generations at once.
Debris is scattered for miles. Houses reduced to frames. Trees uprooted and cars found in trees.
The governor of Texas has formally requested federal disaster relief to aid the recovery effort.
Reports say 11 individuals remain missing—10 campers and one counselor from Camp Mystic.
A haunting echo of the flood’s fury.
Generations of families have sent daughters to Camp Mystic. Now, the camp is synonymous with heartbreak.
Joyce’s simple, haunting message has now become a symbol of the terrifying power of that July 4 storm.
With at least 104 lives lost and entire communities in mourning, the full impact of this disaster is only just beginning to set in.