Jeeper Ragsdale’s sister, Jane, woke him up with a decision at about 3:30 a.m. on July 4, telling him the water used to be emerging.
It used to be already on the foot of her mattress, Jane instructed him, he stated. The cellular provider used to be spotty on the camp the place Jane used to be a director, however Jeeper may listen that a lot, he stated.
“And I could not do not anything,” Jeeper instructed ABC Information. “I used to be, like, get out of the home.”
That used to be the remaining time Jeeper spoke to Jane, whose complete title used to be Cynthia Jane Ragsdale, and who used to be certainly one of greater than 100 other people who died within the Texas flooding that started early that morning.
Flood sufferer, Jane Ragsdale.
Center O’ the Hills Camp for Ladies
She have been with the camp, Center O’ The Hills, for just about 50 years. She’d been a co-owner since 1978 and had served because the director since 1988.
As her brother recalled, the camp within the Texas Hill Nation used to be “my sister’s love of her reside.” It used to be in her blood.
Jane’s camp used to be close to every other, Camp Mystic, which used to be additionally devastated by means of the flooding.
When Jane known as to inform Jeeper what used to be taking place, he instructed her to damage a window, to get out of the home in anyway essential, he stated in an interview. He stated he concept she had carried out so, however he could not ensure that.
“Neatly, she simply wasn’t contacting me once more,” Jeeper stated. “So it used to be lovely glaring, most definitely, what had came about. However I simply used to be protecting on to wish that by hook or by crook she had gotten out.”
Jeeper Ragsdale, who misplaced his sister, Cynthia Jane Ragsdale, within the Texas Hill Nation flooding, speaks with ABC Information, July 9, 2025.
ABC Information
Jeeper stated his sister’s name that morning alerted him to the chance and he used to be in a position to get up a number of other people at his personal camp. He credited her telephone name with saving a minimum of 5 lives.
Within the days for the reason that flood, Jeeper has had time to mirror on his sister’s existence. She had labored as a journalist in her formative years, touring as a ways away as Argentina for paintings. She have been one of the crucial “nicest other people you want to meet and cherished serving to other people and wasn’t materialistic.”
He stated he would be mindful her the way in which he at all times did, simply as a cheerful one that would greet him with a large hug each and every time they noticed each and every different.
The worst phase about Friday used to be the hours that he did not know the place she used to be. Now not understanding if she used to be OK, he stated. It intended the whole thing to him that she’d known as him that morning, he stated.
And he stated she’d texted him someday that morning, because the floods ravaged the realm. In a single textual content she stated she used to be anxious about re-opening the camp, Jeeper stated, however he nonetheless hasn’t seemed again at her remaining texts to him.
“I have never been in a position to have a look at my texts,” he stated. I simply have not been in a position to return there. However I do know I talked to her.”
