'At Least We'll Go Down Together': Texas Couple Clung to Post for 4 Hours as House Washed Away in Flood

In the face of unprecedented Texas floods, one couple experienced a terrifying ordeal as their house disintegrated around them, with nothing to hold on to but a post — and each other.

In the flood plains of Ingram, Texas, a couple was forced to hold on to a cedar post for hours as devastating flash flooding washed away their entire home.

During the early morning hours of Friday, July 4, 2025, unprecedented floodwaters swept through numerous central Texas counties. Doug and Elizabeth Fuller were home when the flooding started.

First was a steady rain that lasted for hours, accompanied by mobile weather alerts. The Fullers did not find this unusual, though — they'd seen the area flood numerous times over the past decade.

This time would prove different. As lightning intensified, Doug saw a huge wall of water coming toward them. His car started floating and water rushed out of their home's outlets and blew in the back door.

Doug, a musician, placed his guitars on his bed for safekeeping. Minutes later, the bed hit the ceiling. They switched the guitars to their attic's crawl space, hoping it would be safer. As furniture floated around them, they held on to the front door’s frame.

After some time, a surge of water pushed them out of the house. At this point, the Fullers feared for their lives. "I thought, 'I really don't want to die. This sucks and this is not cool,'" recalled Doug to People.

Elizabeth, though, said she found something to be grateful for in this dire moment: "I told him, 'At least we'll go down together, or we'll make it out together,' and we did. I'm so glad."

Doug reached for a cedar post supporting an awning in front of the house, and Elizabeth struggled to reach him. He gripped her tightly and helped her to the post, where they held on for four hours.

"It sounded like a freight train and a tornado fighting," said Doug about the roaring flood, adding, "We watched buildings wash by. We watched them completely disappear."

The couple saw the flood reach the roofline, and when the waters finally receded and their feet touched the ground, they were in a daze. Doug then spotted tow truck drivers, who marveled at finding survivors and helped them find medical aid.

EMTs had set up an emergency triage area in a high school parking lot and they examined the couple — Doug had a bump on his head, while Elizabeth had a blood vessel burst in her hand. Both were in good shape otherwise.

After receiving assistance, Doug and Elizabeth were taken in by Doug's parents. They were able to get some food, watch the news, and see footage of the devastation, including images of themselves still listed as missing.

At first, Doug felt angry at having lost nearly everything, but then he felt lucky to be alive. "I feel more guilty because there's little kids out there whose parents are just waiting with every minute," he explained.

After composing themselves, there was no time to rest. Elizabeth’s in-laws drove her to get a fresh outfit and then to work a double shift at a local restaurant. "If I don't work, we're not going to come back from this," she said.

For the Fullers, not all was lost to the flood. Not only did they walk away with their lives, but they also found that Doug's favorite guitar survived the waters in the crawl space, right where they left it.

Many were far less fortunate. The number of fatalities rose to 50 by Sunday, July 6 — including 28 adults, and over 15 children —, and is expected to continue rising. Communities in affected counties are reeling in the wake of the tragedy.

On Facebook, Kerr County's Virginia Inez Raper shared her experiences in a long post. She spent the day of the flood searching the area, managing to find Doug and Elizabeth, and called for the community to come together.

"This is a small view of the devastation felt in my local community. My family and friends are okay I believe. I did find [Elizabeth] and [Doug] and I am going to get back in a little bit to get started helping my family and friends pick up the pieces," she wrote, adding:

"I am so grateful to just have made it out alive and with my loved ones safe. I over-did it yesterday, searching tirelessly with no sleep for people who I valued more than life itself."

"We may have taken a hit to our homes, but you can flood our homes, take our possessions, and try to leave us with nothing, but as a community... We will band together and we will be okay," she declared. "I love every one of you dear friends."

"Please take a moment to pray for the ones who were not able to make it through and remember that a lot of our friends need help right now," she wrote, before exhorting the community to "Do what you can for your fellow man!!".

As emergency efforts continue to unfold, death tolls rise with each update. We hope that those impacted by the floods find comfort and assistance in the days and weeks ahead.

Many of the flood's victims were less fortunate than the Fullers. Eight-year-old twin girls Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence were among the dozens killed during the catastrophe over the weekend. The girls attended Camp Mystic along with their 14-year-old sister, Harper.

Miami Herald reports that the twins and Harper are granddaughters of Miami childhood education advocate David Lawrence Jr. While the twins died in the flash floods that swept through early Friday morning, July 4, 2025, Harper survived.

The twins' grandfather, who is also a former publisher of the Miami Herald and founder of The Children's Movement of Florida, confirmed the tragic loss in a statement to the publication, "It has been an unimaginable time for all of us. Hanna and Rebecca gave their parents John and Lacy and sister Harper, and all in our family, so much joy. They and that joy can never be forgotten [sic]."

According to Amelia Mugavero of CBS 11, the girls' father, John Lawrence, reportedly expressed that Hanna and Rebecca had brought immense joy to their family, especially to their older sister Harper, as well as to many others. He said the family would find ways to preserve that joy and continue sharing it in the twins' memory.

The Children's Movement of Florida also addressed the tragedy. In a public message, the organization expressed heartbreak over the widespread loss and specifically mentioned the deaths of Hanna and Rebecca. They urged the public to join them in prayer for all affected families and said they were deeply grieving the loss of so many precious children.

The twins had been celebrated from the moment they were born. In an earlier family announcement, their parents had expressed joy over their arrival, saying the girls were eager to join the world, arriving just in time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Their family had shared that all were doing well at the time and that they were thrilled to welcome the girls.

Over the years, the girls shared many joyful moments with their family, including spending time with their grandparents in Florida. One memory described by the family was a fun time with their grandparents in Miami, reflecting the warmth and closeness of their relationship.

In another family reflection, David had once expressed that the best days of their year were the ones spent all together, particularly a special time in Manchester when all their grandchildren were reunited under one roof.

David, a key figure in early childhood education reform in Florida, left his career in journalism to focus on initiatives like The Children's Trust and universal pre-K access. His work has left a lasting legacy in Florida and beyond. We hope