A LITTLE girl has been orphaned after her parents were killed in the devastating Texas floods.
Authorities believe she may be the only surviving member of her family, as her two brothers are still missing five days after raging waters swallowed their RV park.
The heartbreaking tragedy occurred when a summer vacation turned into a waking nightmare.
The family was visiting Blue Oak RV Park in Kerr County during the July 4 weekend when torrential rains caused flash floods.
Even as rising waters swept through the site, father John Burgess, 39, refused to leave his sons behind.
He was later discovered dead, and his sons, James, one, and Jack, five, have not been located.
His wife, Julia Anderson Burgess, 38, also died in the floods, according to relatives.
Jenna, the couple’s daughter, only survived because she was staying in a nearby camp that had not been flooded.
She is now without both of her parents, as the search for her brothers continues.
Witnesses said John was last seen clinging to a tree, holding his boys close as the water surged.
Lorena Guillen, who owns the RV park, witnessed the terrifying scene as John struggled to keep his children safe.
“My husband was in the water trying to ask them, ‘Please throw me your baby!'” she told the New York Post.
“The man was holding tight to his babies, and he just got swept away.”
Guillen stated that the family had come to celebrate the holiday weekend, and the children were “so excited” to be there.
She and her husband awoke in the middle of the night to chaos as rescuers flooded their home.
“The first level of RVs had already washed away. “The river went up about 10 feet,” she explained.
Donald Trump’s statement on Texas floods
“The Trump administration is collaborating with state and local officials in Texas to respond to the tragic flooding that occurred yesterday.
“Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, will arrive shortly.
“Melania and I are praying for all the families affected by this terrible tragedy.
“Our brave first responders are on the scene doing what they do best. “God bless the families, and God bless Texas!”
“A family of five became stranded because they were the ones closest to the river. Their RV was floating away. It was pitch black, very dark.”
According to Guillen, eight bodies were discovered on her property, and approximately 40 people were reported missing at the neighboring RV park.
Authorities conducted a large-scale search and rescue operation throughout the area.
So far, officials have confirmed the deaths of more than 100 people.
Michael Schwab, John’s relative, posted a tribute on social media confirming the couple’s deaths.
“We continue to mourn the loss of John Burgess, and have been praying for Julia Anderson Burgess and their two sweet boys,” he posted on Facebook.
“We were deeply saddened to learn this morning that my cousin Julia Anderson Burgess’s body has now been found.”
Julia taught at Liberty Elementary School in Liberty, a town outside of Houston.
The school district paid tribute, saying, “Our hearts are with the Burgess family – please continue to pray.”
John owned a financial services company and was known for his contagious smile and community spirit.
Jennifer Tindall Anderson, a relative, also shared a heartfelt statement on Facebook.
“These past few days have been devastating for the Burgess and Anderson families as we continue to mourn the loss of my brother-in-law, John Burgess, and have been praying for Julia Anderson Burgess and their two sweet boys,” she wrote on her blog.
“We just saw him at our luncheon on Wednesday before the tragic event,” said Mark Linabury, president of the East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce.
“They were the sweetest and kindest family,” said Julia’s colleague Laura Taylor-McGuire.
“They were willing to do anything for anyone.
FLOODING TRAGEDY
Flash floods ripped through Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend, killing over 100 people and leaving dozens missing.
One of the hardest hit areas was Kerr County in the Texas Hill Country, also known as “flash flood alley,” where rising waters destroyed an all-girls Christian summer camp.
At least 11 girls and their counselors were killed at Camp Mystic on Friday morning when raging floodwaters struck.
Among them were all 15 members of the Bubble Inn cabin, 13 young girls and two counselors, who were swept away when a wall of water hit the camp.
During the storm, the National Weather Service office in San Angelo was understaffed, with no forecaster, senior hydrologist, or lead meteorologist.
Officials in Kerr County, where many of the deaths occurred, confirmed that no formal flood warning system was in place.
County officials considered installing one as early as 2015 and again in 2017, but the plan was ultimately abandoned due to financial concerns, according to public records.
An unsuccessful $1 million grant application to fund the system resulted in officials continuing to rely on informal word-of-mouth alerts.
“Taxpayers won’t pay for it,” Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly stated recently.
