Just one year after the devastating floods that forever changed the Hill Country, our region once again faced the destructive force of rising waters. For many residents, this flood reopened wounds that had only begun to heal, but once again the American Red Cross was there to provide shelter, meals, relief supplies, and emotional care for families in the Hill Country. For the Ibarra family, that support meant everything.

On a Tuesday morning, Celeste left for work while her children were staying with her sister out of town. But shortly after arriving, she learned that work had been canceled due to the severe weather and worsening flood conditions.

When Celeste returned home, she found water already ankle-deep throughout her house. Behind her home runs a creek connected to the Nueces River, near the area where the dam was overwhelmed and a bridge collapsed. The river was swollen, and the current was moving at a dangerous speed.

As conditions worsened, Celeste realized she was trapped. With nowhere to go and rising water all around her, she tried to get some rest and hoped for the best.

Around 4 a.m., she was jolted awake by a loud crashing sound. Opening her eyes, she saw that her dresser was floating through her bedroom and that she was soaked from the floodwater that had surged into her home.

Knowing she had little time, Celeste rushed outside, grabbed a ladder, and moved her truck as close to the house as possible. She used the ladder to climb onto her roof as the water continued to rise around her.

Stranded on top of her home and without cell service, Celeste searched desperately for a way to communicate. Finally, she was able to connect to a satellite signal. There, she saw a message from her daughter that simply read:

“Stay safe mommy. We can rebuild a house, but we can’t rebuild a mommy.”

Two days had passed, and Celeste remained stranded on the roof of her home. With floodwaters still surrounding her and few options left, she managed to send a text message to her children that read:

“In case, I don’t make it. I love you all and remember everything I taught you”

Meanwhile, her sister and co-workers, knowing that she lived alone, searched tirelessly for her. “I saw the helicopters going and passing, all day and night, and then finally on Thursday they went for me,” Celese says. “I was scared because my roof was like an upside-down V and I kept sliding.”

After spending two days stranded on her roof, Celeste was rescued by a helicopter. Despite challenging weather conditions, including heavy rain and strong winds, rescue crews were finally able to bring her to safety.

Her rescue marked the end of one ordeal and the beginning of another. When Celeste returned home, she faced the heartbreaking reality of the damage left behind by the flood.

“Everything was gone, our house, we lost our dogs, cattle, goats, my tractor was messed up. We lost it within seconds, and that’s all we had,” Celeste says.

Suddenly, Celeste found herself without a home and responsible for caring for her three children, all while trying to figure out what came next. Determined to keep her family safe, she did everything in her power to find a place for them to stay.

Her next plan was to travel to Mexico and stay with relatives until they could get back on their feet. But the flood had destroyed the family's important documents, making that option impossible. Once again, Celeste faced an uncertain future and was left with no choice but for her and her children to sleep in their truck.

Then a friend told Celeste about the Disaster Assistance Center in Uvalde. She went hoping to pick up a few free clothes for her children, but she left with far more than she ever expected.

“The Red Cross found out that we were sleeping in our truck and helped get us into a hotel,” Celeste said, tears welling in her eyes. “They helped us with food and with the medication my daughter needs. I had just purchased it before the flood, and it costs $900 every two weeks. We are pretty much ok because of y’all.”

Celeste and her family were so grateful for the support they received from the American Red Cross that they decided to visit the Greater San Antonio Chapter, which was serving as the Disaster Response Headquarters for the flooding operation.

There, our dedicated volunteers welcomed the family with open arms, surprising the children with toys, smiles, and delicious pastries.

“Y’all were truly God-sent to us,” Celeste said. “We had nowhere to go, nothing to eat. We had lost everything. We are more grateful than you could ever imagine. It's okay to ask for help because there are good people like y’all out there willing to help.”

Stories like Celeste's are a powerful reminder of why we do what we do. When disaster strikes, the Red Cross is there to provide more than shelter, meals, and emergency assistance. We offer hope, comfort, and a path forward for families facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives. For the Ibarra family, that support made all the difference.