Nathan and Audrey Rich’s house in Center Point, Texas, was completely destroyed, but the couple’s wet and soggy wedding picture album was salvaged the day after the disastrous floods hit the state’s central region.

The pair tells PEOPLE that their community’s solidarity in aiding one another has overwhelmed them “in a good way.”

“It’s really restored our faith in humanity,” adds Audrey Rich, 23, a bank cashier.

A buddy contacted Audrey early on Friday, July 4, roused her up, and instructed her to go check outside. When she opened the door, she saw a house floating down the river.

Her husband, Nathan Rich, 22, was already attempting to save the couple’s 17 hens, 3 ducks, four quail, and three cats.

Audrey gathered precious belongings, such as her grandfather’s pocketbook and pocket knife. As she quickly packed a suitcase of clothes, she noticed water rising through the flooring of their more than 100-year-old two-bedroom, two-bathroom home.

The Riches were among hundreds of individuals caught in the disastrous floods that swept through the state on July 4. More than 160 people remain missing as a result of the flash floods, with an additional 119 confirmed deceased.

Audrey and Nathan’s house is around 100 to 150 yards from the river. It didn’t rain that morning, but the river surged and quickly approached their house.

“Everything happened so fast,” Nathan, who runs a diesel repair shop outside his house, adds. “Water was coming up through the floor, not the doors or the walls. The scene was reminiscent of a terrifying movie.

The friend who phoned and woke Audrey arrived at their house and assisted Audrey and her mother in leaving, tugging on the door as they pushed against the fast-moving river.

“If he wasn’t there, we may not have been able to get out,” she adds.

The newlyweds and Audrey’s parents were fortunate to make it to dry land. Before Nathan’s wet phone died, he called his mother in Lubbock, who booked a hotel room, purchased groceries and supplies, and traveled six hours to meet them. The next day, on Saturday, July 5, at 9 a.m. local time, 25 individuals gathered at their house to assist with cleanup and salvage efforts.

“Each person had a squeegee and a broom in their hand,” Nathan concludes. “The number of people who cared and wanted to help was overwhelming.”

During the cleanup, they discovered their coffee table outside the home, beneath the carport, as well as their water-soaked wedding album. Fortunately, Audrey had the flash drive in her computer bag in the car, allowing her to replicate it.

“The community has been so fantastic,” Audrey tells PEOPLE. “It makes us not want to leave.”

Friends and strangers offered to help restore their house and business. The pair says they feel even more connected to their neighborhood today.

“How are you supposed to leave somewhere that helped you so much?” Nathan asks.

Because so many people had supported them, they wanted to give back. When the fire department requested flashlights, Ziploc bags, and latex gloves, Audrey and Nathan went to the store and purchased everything.

“Everybody had helped us so much that we wanted to do something,” Nathan tells me.

In addition, a woman invited the pair to stay at her Airbnb for as long as they needed.

“She says, ‘Stay for a day or a month. However long you need,'” Nathan explains. “That has been presented all around. We have accommodations in nearly every town in Texas.”