Dallas, TX
Dallas church offers hope and healing as community grieves children killed in flood
Green ribbons line the trees throughout North Dallas — a quiet but powerful tribute to the young lives lost in catastrophic flooding that swept through Central Texas.
At least eight girls from North Texas were among the victims, including six who were attending a Christian summer camp and two who were on vacation with their families.
A church gathers to grieve
The heartbreak is being deeply felt at Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, where the Bonner family are members. They lost their daughter, 9-year-old Lila Bonner, when floodwaters overwhelmed Camp Mystic.
On Sunday, hundreds gathered at the church to grieve, pray and search for comfort in the wake of unimaginable loss.
“When bad things happen, people often feel alone — and they’re not alone,” said Rector Christopher Girata. “Nobody who experienced this hardship is alone. And to gather together, to pray, to sing, and to be reminded that we walk through this grief together — that God actually comes alongside of us and carries the weight that is too much for us to bear — that’s when the church actually meets the moment and begins to plant the seeds of hope and healing that will happen in the future.”
Faith offers comfort, not answers
Girata said the congregation has been hurting since learning the magnitude of the flooding. As the community mourns, many are turning to their faith leaders to help make sense of what happened.
“I firmly believe that these little children who lost their lives in the flood — they were swept right up into God’s arms,” Girata said. “I believe that God’s heart broke first for these children and that God was right there to welcome them in.”
When people ask why God would allow such a tragedy, Girata is clear: this was not part of a divine plan.
“In times of crisis, especially in death, a lot of times people are quick to say it was part of God’s plan,” he said. “That is not what we believe. And so when we speak of God’s plan, I want to be super clear — God does not plan for children to die. God’s promise — not God’s plan, but God’s promise — is that even when terrible things happen, God walks with us through those horrible moments and can make something good out of even the darkest experiences. That light of hope, that light of Christ, is what we have in that darkness.”
Supporting those who stepped up
Girata said he wants to validate the pain people are feeling, while also pointing them toward hope and healing.
“One of the things I did not really anticipate was talking to some of the teenagers here in this church who had been counselors,” he said. “In the moment of need, they saved these children. And the responsibility that that puts on them — the kind of pressure that they would have felt. They’re heroes, and they’re also feeling this incredible grief.”
He said those young counselors are now processing the trauma of waking up to floodwaters above their windows and having to rescue the children in their care.
Healing through connection
Girata said the church will continue to support them — and the entire community — in the days and weeks ahead.
He encourages anyone struggling to seek out connection.
“Do not stay isolated,” he said. “Whenever this kind of experience happens, it’s very natural to want to kind of close yourself off in your own grief, to try and process things on your own. And I would encourage people to not stay separated from others. When we get together, we can cry, we can laugh, we can pray, we can sing. Being together makes us better. Being together helps us to heal.”
DALLAS – Slow-moving thunderstorms brought localized flash flooding to parts of North Texas on Tuesday evening, blocking highways near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and dropping several inches of rain in portions of Tarrant and Parker counties.
Flash Flood Warnings
Local perspective:
Flash flood warnings are in effect for Hopkins, Hunt, Rains and Van Zandt counties until 7:45 p.m.
Flooding was reported along Texas 183 near Valley View Lane south of DFW Airport, where stranded vehicles and water-covered roadways created hazardous travel conditions.
A flash flood warning remained in effect near the airport, although rainfall rates had begun to diminish as the storm weakened.
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings
The National Weather Service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Hood County, citing the potential for gusty winds and small hail. Forecasters reported hail ranging from pea-sized to marble-sized in parts of Hood, Parker and Denton counties.
Forecasters attributed the weakening storms in Denton County to an outflow boundary, a meteorological feature that can disrupt thunderstorm development.
The warning area was reduced as the storm weakened near sunset.
LIVE RADAR
What they’re saying:
FOX 4’s Kylie Capps said the storms moved unusually slowly from east to west, allowing heavy rain to accumulate over the same areas for several hours.
Rainfall estimates showed some locations in eastern Parker County and western Tarrant County received nearly 5 inches of rain during a six-hour period, while areas near DFW Airport recorded more than 2 inches.
Elsewhere in North Texas, northern Rains County received nearly 5 inches of rain.
7-Day Forecast
What’s next:
Forecasters expect a quieter overnight period, with only isolated showers lingering into the evening. Additional thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon, though coverage and the threat of severe weather are expected to remain limited.
Temperatures are forecast to reach about 90 degrees Wednesday.
Rain chances are expected to continue through the remainder of the workweek and into the weekend as an upper-level low-pressure system sends multiple disturbances across North Texas.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4’s Weather Team
Monday was a wild day for the NFL with two blockbuster trades. First was Myles Garrett, who both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were rumored to have interest in.
Cowboys fans never bought into these rumors, knowing that Jerry Jones was unlikely to make such an investment. The Eagles, however, have been known to get aggressive. Thankfully for Dallas fans, they didn’t make the move as the Cleveland Browns sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse and a package of picks.
Not long after that trade was finalized, the Eagles did wind up making a trade. After months of speculation surrounding A.J. Brown and the New England Patriots, the two sides made it official as Brown was reunited with Mike Vrabel in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Dallas Cowboys could take the NFC East crown in 2026
The writing has been on the wall all offseason regarding Brown, who has been unhappy with the Eagles for a while. His departure seemed confirmed when they traded up with Dallas in the 2026 NFL draft for USC receiver Makai Lemon.
While Lemon has the tools to be a difference-maker, he won’t be able to perform at the same level as Brown during his rookie season. The Eagles do still have DeVonta Smith at receiver as well as running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
That said, there’s no denying that they’re weaker this season than they were with Brown. Just as important, however, is the fact that general manager Howie Roseman didn’t pull off a shocking move for Garrett, which would have made them the overwhelming favorites in the division.
Cowboys chances hinge on defensive changes
Another reason the Cowboys are confident they can hang with Philadelphia this season is the presence of Christian Parker, who they hired as their defensive coordinator after he spent the past two seasons as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Eagles.
Parker brings in a new scheme and plenty of confidence, but more importantly, he has several new weapons at his disposal. Dallas traded for veterans Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, signed Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant, and selected Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the draft.
Those are just some of the moves they made on defense, and they’re banking on that to be enough to help propel them past the team that has won the division the past two seasons.
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