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Joy Before the Flood: A Family's Last Perfect Day
5 Jun
Summary
- Family found joy playing and dining before a devastating flood.
- A podcast shares a personal story of loss and resilience.
- A Sunday brunch tradition offered comfort after the tragedy.

A former journalist is sharing a deeply personal account of a devastating flood that swept away his family's home along the Guadalupe River. The narrative focuses on the joyful hours preceding the disaster on July 3, 2025, detailing moments of familial connection and simple pleasures. Activities included children playing in life jackets, enjoying a rope swing, and indoor games like hide-and-seek before a family dinner.
Later that evening, adults engaged in a lighthearted game of charades, creating memories of laughter and togetherness. These precious experiences are now recalled with profound significance, representing a final period of unadulterated happiness for the family. The podcast delves into the sudden shift in events as floodwaters violently disrupted their lives.
In the aftermath, the focus shifted from immediate survival to rebuilding a sense of normalcy. The podcast explores how returning to familiar traditions, such as a weekly Sunday brunch, provided a vital sense of continuity and strength for the family as they navigated their grief and loss, underscoring their resilience.
Additional episodes of the seven-part series, "Where the River Took Us," are scheduled for release, continuing the exploration of this remarkable story of loss and perseverance. A future episode is set for release on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.