Overview

• Devah Woods, a 10-year-old third grader from Brenham Elementary, was swept away by rapidly rising floodwaters on May 5 while walking home with her sister.
• Despite rescue attempts by bystanders and a police officer, the powerful current carried her away; the officer was later rescued downstream and treated for injuries.
• A coordinated search involving 24 agencies, including Texas Task Force 1, used drones, canine units, and land-based teams to locate her body the next morning at 10 a.m.
• Severe weather conditions forced overnight water-based search operations to pause, though land and aerial searches continued through the night.
• The National Weather Service has issued warnings for additional heavy rains and flash floods in southeastern Texas, compounding the region's ongoing weather challenges.