CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Padre Island resident who lost five family members in the Central Texas flood disaster is now working with her neighbors to help her family and other flood victims.
Stacy Appling's nephew Jake, his wife Megan, their 6-year-old daughter Harley, and Megan's parents, Gary and Deanne, all died in the Hill Country floods that devastated parts of Central Texas.
"I remember texting... calling my nephew and no answer," Appling said.
What was supposed to be a holiday full of fireworks and celebration turned into a nightmare for Appling.
"And of course, that never materialized. And as the days grew forward, we just lost more and more hope," Appling said.
Despite her grief, Appling is finding strength in her faith.
"At times you feel anger, but you know, everything happens for a reason. That's what I believe. And at this point it was, you know, God called them home," Appling said.
The New Braunfels family had visited Appling on Padre Island just one month before the tragedy. Looking at a family photo, Appling described what she saw.
"I see a man that worked very, very hard, but his daughter meant everything to him. You can see he showed up to her kindergarten graduation. And you can see Megan and how proud and happy she is," Appling said.
Now Appling is helping her brother, Jake's father, who is dealing with thousands of dollars in funeral expenses.
This Saturday (08/16/25), Appling and her neighbor, Keith "Chilly Dog," Chandler will host a barbecue benefit at the Hardknocks Sports Grill/AGI parking lot on the Island from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at $15 a plate.
In addition, a raffle will be held at Hardknocks at 3 p.m. (In the flyer below is contact information for both events).
Appling hopes to raise $10,000 for the funeral expenses. Anything above that amount will be donated to the Cajun Navy, a search and rescue group that's still in Kerrville looking for the last two missing people.
"So we can help defer some of their costs so they can stay longer and look for these people, because I know how important it was for us to have that closure," Appling said.
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