“Thank you Lord”: Tiger‑swift Flight from Guadalupe Flood Waters
A Texas megachurch outreach pastor and his family experienced what they describe as a miraculous escape amid the devastating flash flooding along the Guadalupe River over the Independence Day weekend. The pastor, identified as Michael Oakes from San Antonio’s Oak Hills Church, credited God with delivering them from rapidly rising floodwaters near their Hunt river retreat.
Oakes and his wife, Liliana, along with their three teenage children and elderly mothers, had gone to their river house across Highway 39 for a restful break. But storms overnight on July 4, 2025 transformed the respite into a life‑threatening ordeal.
They awoke around 1 a.m. to the sound of heavy rain. By 2 a.m., water began seeping into the dining room. Within ninety minutes, floodwaters surged to the level of their windowsills. Oakes noted that their home sat roughly 200 feet from the Guadalupe River, elevated about 15 feet above normal bank level.
Confronted with ankle‑deep flooding inside and chest‑deep water outside by 3:30 a.m., Oakes and his son Johan forced open a window and crawled out into fast‑rushing water. Neighbors on a bluff shone flashlights, guiding their escape. They returned to rescue their mothers and pets, moments before the water receded just enough for them to reach solid ground. Oakes exclaimed, “thank you Lord!” as they made it safely to higher ground ﹘ a phrase he used repeatedly in his Instagram post.
In the aftermath, daylight revealed widespread devastation throughout Kerr and surrounding counties. Oakes described harrowing scenes and “miraculous stories” of survival. His mother and mother‑in‑law were airlifted by first responders once roads became passable.
The scale of the disaster is sobering. From July 4 to July 7, 2025, intense rainfall fed by a tropical moisture surge triggered a historic flash flood along the Guadalupe River watershed. The death toll has since exceeded 120, with at least 103 confirmed fatalities in Kerr County alone, and around 170 reported missing statewide.
A private Christian camp, Camp Mystic, situated downstream, suffered deeply. At least 27 campers and counselors have died or remain unaccounted for, including several young girls. Many families remain in anguish over missing loved ones.
Oakes expressed both relief at his family’s safety and sorrow for those who did not survive. He thanked friends, neighbors and strangers for their prayers and assistance, emphasizing that their experience could have ended in tragedy had circumstances shifted by mere minutes.
He also appealed for continued prayer for the affected communities. “Please pray for those still suffering and help if you can. Casita del Rio was our happy place, our dream retreat, and it will be again,” Oakes wrote.
As outreach pastor at a conservative Christian megachurch, Oakes has long helped lead local and global missions. His academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Observers have noted the swift and deadly nature of this flash flood. In many areas the Guadalupe River rose more than 20 feet in less than 90 minutes, creating conditions that left little chance for many caught in its path. Officials have highlighted delays in county alert messaging, despite warnings issued hours earlier by the National Weather Service.
My personal view: The story underscores how faith can provide strength amid sudden disaster. Watching neighbors and strangers respond — by shining flashlights, offering shelter, helping evacuate the elderly—was evidence of Christian community in action. It also reminds that human systems failed to provide timely warnings. The grace extended to Oakes’s family speaks loudly: sometimes divine protection steps in where infrastructure falls short.
Another observation: Oakes’s testimony offers hope without political overtones. There’s no suggestion of blaming other factors beyond the natural severity of the flood and the need for community resilience and prayer. His gratitude is toward God, not government.
The pastor’s escape offers a vivid portrait of personal faith, communal help, and the fragile line between life and disaster. In a time when many seek answers to suffering, stories like his illustrate that belief and neighborly action make a tangible difference.
Oakes’s account, shared via Instagram and reported across Christian news outlets within the past 60 days, reminds believers that thanking the Lord is not merely expression—it can mark survival itself .