A Texas megachurch pastor has thanked God for sparing his family after they narrowly escaped flash floods that devastated parts of the state’s Hill Country, leaving over 100 people dead and many more missing.
Michael Oakes, outreach minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, where author Max Lucado also serves, shared how what was meant to be a restful Independence Day at their river house in Hunt turned into a desperate overnight evacuation.
“We went to bed Thursday night to light rain. Heavy storms woke me about 1 a.m. and by 2 a.m. water was flooding our dining room,” Oakes wrote on Instagram.
“People were calling out with flashlights from a bluff above our house and we decided to go. We went back for the family (and the dogs) and just as we were pulling our moms out of the window the water dropped a couple of feet (thank you Lord!) and we were able to make it to higher ground,” he wrote.
Daybreak revealed heartbreaking scenes across the region, with whole communities left submerged and Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp nearby, suffering significant loss of life.
At least 27 people from the camp died or remain missing.
Oakes said his family is counting their blessings and asked for continued prayer: “Please pray for those still suffering and help if you can… For now, we are grateful to be safe and to be home.”