Where the River Took Us
After his family?s home was swept away in the devastating Central Texas floods on July 4, 2025, Texas Monthly senior editor Aaron Parsley began the journey of putting the pieces back together. It began with a magazine feature written days after the tragedy?for which he won a Pulitzer Prize?and continues here as he hosts this podcast series, Where the River Took Us. Through intimate conversations with family members and other survivors, this podcast explores how people endure unimaginable loss and how a community tries to rebuild, grow, and adapt after a mass tragedy.From the producers of America's Girls, The Final Flight of Captain Forrester, and The Problem With Erik, the series debuts May 26, 2026.
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Introducing "Where the River Took Us"
Coming May 26, 2026, Where the River Took Us explores how people endure unimaginable loss and how a community tries to rebuild, grow, and adapt after the devastating Central Texas floods on July 4, 2025. Hosted by Texas Monthly senior editor Aaron Parsley, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing for his account of his family?s fight for survival during the flood.
To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
2026-05-06To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
Link to episode
Preview: The Original Article, Days After the Flood
Before the release of the first episode on May 26, here?s the audio version of Aaron Parsley?s article from July 2025, which won him a Pulitzer Prize.
To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
2026-05-19To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
Link to episode
The Flood, Part 1
Texas Monthly senior editor Aaron Parsley remembers the night before the flood and everything that led up to the moment that changed his family forever.
To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
2026-05-26To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
Link to episode
The Flood, Part 2
At dawn on July 4, 2025, Texas Monthly senior editor Aaron Parsley found himself high in a hackberry tree, alone and unaware of his family?s whereabouts. This is the story of what came next.
To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
2026-05-26To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
Link to episode
One of the Hardest Things
In the aftermath of the flood, loved ones and kind-hearted strangers helped my family face our new, unimaginable reality. A reunion takes place for the first time since the disaster.
To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
2026-06-02To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
Link to episode
Stuck at Camp Forever
An old friend reaches out. His daughter was one of the young girls who died at Camp Mystic. We reconnected to understand each other's grief and explore how it can be channeled into action.
To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
2026-06-09To read Aaron Parsely?s Pulitzer Prize-winning feature, go to:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-flood-firsthand-account/.
Link to episode