Amid the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a North Carolina couple is giving all glory to God after miraculously surviving by floating on their couch. For Howard and Lisa Ray, faith was their lifeline when floodwaters overtook their home and swept them into the Cane River.

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm, causing widespread destruction as it tore through Florida, Georgia, and up the Eastern seaboard. The storm left behind shattered communities and heartache, but amidst the devastation, Howard and Lisa’s incredible survival story stands as a testament to the power of God’s protection.

“It’s all God,” Howard told Queen City News. “We shouldn’t be alive. There’s no way; it’s all God.”

The Rays’ ordeal began when floodwaters surged through their trailer in Pensacola. As the water rapidly rose, the couple was forced to think on their feet. Lisa recalled how, in a moment of divine intervention, God provided a way out by turning their couch into an unexpected flotation device.

“The trailer started filling up, and it’s like [God] opened a piece up, and I just had to sit down on that couch, and we floated out,” Lisa explained.

With the waters pushing the couch downstream, Howard clung tightly to Lisa, determined to keep her safe as they were carried through the flood. “We floated for 400 yards,” Howard said. “I remember her saying, ‘We’re going to drown.’ And I said, ‘No, if we’re going to drown, we’re going to drown together.'”

The couple’s faith gave them the strength to press on, even as the raging waters carried them deeper into danger. When the time was right, Howard instructed Lisa to jump and grab hold of a barbed wire fence, which, though painful, helped them pull themselves to safety. They eventually found refuge in a nearby garage until the waters receded.

Although the Rays lost everything—their home, their cars, and even dear friends to the storm—they remain steadfast in their belief that God has a purpose for sparing their lives.

“I know we might have lost everything, but that doesn’t mean I stop or give up,” Howard said. “That’s not who I am. God has a plan for us.”

Their church, Pleasant Valley Baptist, has stepped in to help the couple rebuild. Through the generosity of donations, they’ve secured an Airbnb for the Rays to live in for the next year, giving them time to get back on their feet.

While Lisa is still grieving the loss of her close friend, who perished in the flood, she continues to lean on God for strength. “I don’t know why we’re still here, but God has a purpose,” she said, admitting the uncertainty of what lies ahead.

In the chaos of their survival, one moment brought them tremendous joy—being reunited with their dog, Saddi, two days after the storm. The faithful pup had waited for them near their Jeep, undeterred by the floodwaters that had torn their world apart.

The Rays’ story is just one of many emerging from the hurricane’s devastation, but it serves as a powerful reminder of God’s presence, even in life’s darkest storms. As relief efforts continue, volunteers like Mitch Collier, a Christian chaplain with Cajun Navy 2016, have seen firsthand the toll that disasters like Hurricane Helene take on communities.

“It’s been tough,” Collier said. “But God is good. God sent us here. I found people that God steered me to. One man told me I saved his life, and I said, ‘God saved your life.'”

For the Rays, their faith has remained their anchor. Despite everything they’ve lost, their resolve is clear: they will not give up because God’s hand has been guiding them all along.

As Howard put it simply, “We shouldn’t be alive. It’s all God.”