Texas Flood Survivor Recounts 1987 Guadalupe River Disaster

The 1987 Guadalupe River Flash Flood

• ⚡ Richard Koons, a bus driver in 1987, recounts the devastating flash flood on the Guadalupe River that claimed the lives of 10 teenagers.
• ⚠️ The floodwaters rose an astonishing 26 feet in 45 minutes, a speed and intensity that made escape nearly impossible.
• 🌊 Koons describes how their evacuation bus stalled due to rising water, forcing everyone off the bus into knee-deep water, which quickly became a 35-foot deep wall of water traveling at 70 miles per hour.
• 🎯 He emphasizes the unpredictable nature of the flood, stating, "It didn't matter... there were people that could not swim that made it. And there were great swimmers who did not make it. It's just where the water wanted you to go is where you went."

Personal Impact and Healing

• 💔 Koons and his wife experienced immediate shock and tears upon hearing about a recent similar flood, triggering memories of their own traumatic experience.
• 🌱 Over the past 40 years, Koons found healing through faith, family, and friends, and by ministering to some of the flood survivors as adults in his church.
• 🕊️ A core part of his healing and hope comes from his belief in Jesus Christ and the assurance of reuniting with the lost children in heaven.

Messages of Hope for Grieving Families

• ⏳ Koons acknowledges that time does have a way of healing, though it's a cliché, it has proven true in his life and the lives of others.
• 🤝 He advises grieving families to surround themselves with a supportive community that will love, encourage, and be there for them.
• 🙏 Koons shares his own experience of collapsing after the first funeral and being supported by a fellow youth pastor, highlighting the critical role of friends and community in enduring immense pain.
• 🌟 He encourages parents who lost children to hang on to their faith and cling to friends and family as a strong way to navigate their grief.