Floodwaters devastated the couple’s home but community support is aiding their lengthy cleanup process.
CENTER POINT, Texas — A Center Point couple is cleaning up what’s left of their home after floodwaters from the Guadalupe River surged six feet high inside, gutting their property and scattering debris across their yard.
Terry and Trisha Masucci were away from their home on the Fourth of July when the river overflowed, flooding their house, barn and shed.
“We had six feet of water inside the house, inside the barn, inside the shed… everything,” Trisha Masucci said.
By the time the Masuccis returned the next morning, the water had receded, but the damage was already done. Nearly every room was filled with mud.
“There was about three to four inches of mud in the house. You could barely walk through it. It was just thick,” she said.
The couple’s home sits just across from the Guadalupe River. Now, debris is scattered across the porch and lawn—furniture, torn drywall and soaked personal items among the wreckage.
Inside, much of the flooring has been ripped out and the air still smells of mud and mildew.
Trisha pointed out a water line stained along the siding—an eerie reminder of how high the river rose. She says they’ve never seen anything like it.
“We don’t even know how many cypress trees we lost. They’ve been here for hundreds of years,” said Trisha.
The emotional toll has been just as heavy. Trisha says hearing helicopters overhead reminds her of the lives lost downstream—especially one story she can’t stop thinking about.
“A girl was yelling for help from a tree,” she said. “The neighbors rescued her but she said her mom got swept away in the river. I just keep thinking, we’re lucky. We’re okay.”
Among the few things recovered was a rosary belonging to one of their renters, who had been staying in the house during the storm.
“She couldn’t believe it made it. That was the one thing we could return to her,” Trisha said.
Despite the heartbreak, the Masuccis say they’ve been overwhelmed by support. Neighbors and volunteers have shown up daily, helping tear down water-logged walls, bringing supplies and simply being present.
“We could never do this on our own,” she said. “We’ve been so blessed by the help, every single day.”
The cleanup is expected to take months. The Masuccis don’t yet know if the structure of their home is safe enough to rebuild, but they’re holding onto hope—and to each other.