The Harber family of North Texas is experiencing indescribable grief after sisters Blair (13) and Brooke (11) died in the tragic Hill Country floods. Their remains were discovered 15 kilometers from where they were carried away, hands still clenched together. Tragically, their grandparents, Mike and Charlene Harber, are still missing.
The family was sleeping at a neighbor’s riverfront home in Hunt, Texas, when the storm hit in the early hours of July 4, 2025. Despite frantic rescue efforts by parents R.J. and Annie Harber, the rushing floods prevented them from reaching their daughters and loved ones.
Jennifer Harber, the family’s aunt, described the chaos: floods rose swiftly to neck level, forcing the pair to break a window to flee. Unable to contact their daughters or parents, R.J. and Annie awakened the neighbors and borrowed a kayak, but the water was too strong. R.J. and Annie were finally rescued, along with five others, but the weight of their powerlessness lingers. The girls had fallen asleep in a safe place during the storm.
The girls had been sleeping in a loft, with their grandparents below, and the storm had obscured any warning indications until it was too lateTheir Labrador miraculously survived, but another family pet did not survive the storm.t.
In response, friends started a GoFundMe page to support the bereaved family. It has generated more than $169,000 of its $200,000 target and is loaded with images of the family’s deep ties during holiday celebrations, bright afternoons, and tender moments. A united funeral for the girls will be held at St. Rita Catholic Church in Dallas, with Southwest Airlines, where Jennifer works, to arrange for the repatriation of their remains. The uncertainty surrounding Mike and Charlene’s fate exacerbates the family’s sadness, prompting Jennifer to continue her appeal for assistance in bringing them home.
More than 80 people have been reported dead in central Texas, with many more still. The Harbers lived in Kerrville, one of the most devastated communities. From Camp Mystic to Travis County, whole neighborhoods vanished in minutes. Despite the devastation, the Texans have gathered in solidarity, and even Pope Leo XIV has prayed for the victims. In the face of such sadness, the Harbers’ tale has become a symbol of profound loss and enduring love, as well as a reminder of the resilience of families and the pain that tragedies may cause.