INGRAM, Texas – A devastating flash flood that swept through Ingram, Texas, over the Fourth of July weekend continues to haunt local business owner Lorena Guillen, who lost not only her RV park and had damage to her home and restaurant, but also witnessed the tragic deaths of a vacationing family.
The catastrophic event at Blue Oak RV Park claimed the lives of John and Julia Burgess and their two young sons, who were staying at the facility during the holiday weekend. Twenty-one other RVs were destroyed when the Guadalupe River suddenly surged in the early morning hours.
“If I had at least a 15-minute warning, we would not have had any loss of life,” Guillen said.
At around 2 a.m., Guillen said she went to check the river, and it had been raining, but she said it was fine and hadn’t risen. A little more than an hour later, the entire area where the RVs sat was covered.
Guillen and her husband started waking everyone up and getting them out.
Despite efforts by Guillen’s husband to rescue the Burgess family, the powerful floodwaters proved overwhelming.
Rebuilding Challenges Mount
More than a month after the disaster, Guillen, who owns both the RV park and Howdy’s Bar and Chill, faces significant obstacles in rebuilding. The estimated cost to restore the property stands at approximately $2 million, with limited assistance available.
“Right now, we are working with the Small Business Administration,” Guillen said, noting that interest rates range between 4% and 8%. With no current income from the destroyed property, the path to recovery remains uncertain.
Currently, the area is still in the cleanup phase as debris is still being removed.
While Howdy’s Bar and Chill was closed to customers for a bit, it was open the entire time for first responders and volunteers. It fully reopened days after the water inside had dried out, and the plumbing and electrical systems were fixed.
Community Support Sustains Recovery Efforts
While government and organizational aid has been minimal, local community support has emerged as a crucial lifeline for the Guillen.
“The community is the only reason my husband and I are still here,” Guillen said. “Nobody has done more for us than the community — no organization, no private or government or profit.”
Immediately after the water receded, she said people from all over brought food, water and helped with the cleanup.
Emotional Toll Lingers
The physical destruction, while extensive, pales in comparison to the emotional impact of lives lost. Guillen struggles with the memory of that night and its devastating outcome.
“From something so beautiful, and it became so monstrous for these people,” Guillen said. “They lost a friend; they lost a family member. That part is what’s going to continue to hurt for many, many years.”
Despite her determination to rebuild, Guillen remains focused on honoring those who lost everything in the disaster.
“The hurt of knowing that people died... that is the part that hurts,” she said. “You learn how to deal with it, but I don’t think it is ever going away.”