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One Woman’s Story of Survival and Hope After the Flood

Field Report by Operation Blessing

TEXAS – For Collene Lucas of Kerrville, Texas, it started like any other day. She went to work with no idea her life would soon be turned upside down. But a day mired in danger would eventually lead to hope after the flood.

“Ten minutes till five, I left my house,” she recalled. Just over an hour later, a vendor walked into her workplace and shared devastating news—floodwaters were overtaking parts of town. “At that time, I knew my house was flooding.”

As fear crept in, Collene’s mind went straight to her husband, who was home and unreachable. Desperate, she drove toward their house, only to have her truck stall in rising waters. “I opened the driver’s door, I put my left leg out, and the water was almost up to my hip,” she remembered. With floodwaters surging, she realized she couldn’t get to her husband—and all she could do was pray. “I really believe I was walking on water,” she said, as she made her way to the firehouse for help.

Strength in difficulty

A Miracle of Hope After the Flood

Collene’s story is not one of loss, but of grace. Rescuers reached her husband in time. “We lost a lot of things, but we didn’t lose a life,” she said, overwhelmed with gratitude. “Everybody needs to understand that lives are irreplaceable. Materialistic things can be replaced, but not a life.”

Returning home to the aftermath was painful. Memories soaked and scattered—but not destroyed. “You’ll hold them in your heart and in your mind forever,” she said.

Bringing hope after the flood

Help Arrived Through Friends Like You

Amid the chaos, Collene saw God’s provision through Operation Blessing. “I am so blessed today to be at my home with some Christian organizations. They’re all volunteers, and they have been a true blessing,” she shared. Teams helped her pack what remained, creating a temporary storage area in her garage. With that weight lifted from them, Collene and her husband could move into a studio apartment. “Now we’re able to not have to worry about this part of it… It’s a blessing.”

Blessings That Keep Moving Forward

flood devastation

Floods devastated Collene’s home, but they didn’t destroy her spirit. She spoke through tears, not of sorrow, but of praise. “I just—I don’t know what I would have done without the help from y’all… It’s like a miracle.”

Because of compassionate friends like you, Operation Blessing is able to bring that kind of miracle to disaster victims around the world—providing emergency meals, clean water and hygiene kits. Most importantly, though, YOU helped bring hope after the flood.

“I have nothing but blessings. I am truly blessed.” – Collene Lucas

Critical Support after the flood

You can continue to be the answer to someone’s prayer.


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