HUNT, Texas – Amid the devastation and destruction in the Texas Hill Country, some victims shared stories of how they survived the now-deadliest natural disaster of 2025.
Some of the hardest-hit homes were located in Hunt, located in western Kerr County.
David Fry was vacationing with 33 family members at the River Inn Resort when the storm hit.
“This area has been very near and dear to our families for a long time,” Fry said.
>> ‘A horrifying scene’: How flooding affected Hill Country residents’ homes, businesses and neighbors
The room where Fry’s aunt and uncle stayed had one wall completely torn off.
Mother Nature created devastating images, giving the appearance of time standing still.
Swim trunks were left hanging on a hook outside a room. A set of dominoes was left out waiting for the next game. A DVD was on the ground near a set of mailboxes along the side of the only road in and out of town.
Water rose more than 25 feet in roughly 45 minutes early Friday morning.
“That’s when we went through banging on doors, just trying to notify as many people as possible and get them out and push them up to the road,” Fry said. “A couple of vehicles had already been lost off the roadway to fast water.”
Fry’s family said they had no choice but to climb up on the roof of the building, hoisting each other up.
Fry saved his family and others at the hotel, as well as people stranded in homes across the street.
They all survived.
Woman rides out storm with dogs in a kayak
As the storm rolled down river, Diana Smith found herself in an incredibly dangerous situation as water surrounded her home.
“I just screamed. I called 9-1-1. Nothing happened. And I screamed ‘God, I don’t know what to do,’” Smith recalled.
“I open the front door and it sweeps both my dogs (in) different directions and I’m panicking thinking, ‘Now what the hell am I gonna do?’” Smith continued. “I said a prayer when I was standing on my porch. Both my parents are deceased. And I said, ‘Mom, Dad, God, help.’”
Smith and her two dogs jumped into a kayak to ride out the storm.
“I don’t know what to think. I think I’m still in shock,” Smith said.
“You know, it was, it was very, very close call and have we been 10 or 15 minutes later. Yeah, we’ve been too late,” Fry added.
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