“The storm was raging. It was constant lightning and thunder,” Dale said. “This wonderful woman was standing outside, shouting at us that the river was coming up and we had to leave immediately. So we grabbed my grandson, who is 7 years old – he was sleeping in the living room – and we walked out the door.”

Before help could arrive, Texans in hard-hit areas said they tried to save themselves from the deadly floodwaters.