AUSTIN, Texas — Aaron Parsley has built his career telling the stories of others. But on July 4, when devastating floodwaters swept through the Texas Hill Country, his story became one of survival and heartbreaking loss.

Parsley, a senior editor at Texas Monthly , was among seven family members inside their home along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County when floodwaters lifted the house off its pillars. The structure was carried downstream before breaking apart in the rushing water.

“This story kind of had it all,” Parsley said. “It was heartbreaking. It was harrowing. It was heroic. It was hard to believe, and it was heartwarming.”

In the chaos, his 2-year-old nephew, Clay, was swept away. In the days after, Parsley began writing about the experience. Over six days, often late at nigh

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