Storm Stories

Don and I have been working with Red Cross victims from the recent floods we had in Central Texas caused by Hurricane Hermine. Not much publicity about all this but we have heard some harrowing stories from the people we are helping. I would like to share some of them because I believe it shows how God protects and helps us and it might help you think more seriously about Disaster Preparedness. I believe EVERYONE should invest in a weather radio and HEED their warnings. Flash flooding can happen anywhere and sometimes happens where you least expect it....and it happens SUDDENLY.
The first family I interviewed was a single mom with two daughters, 16 and 20, and a 1 year old grandson. The 16 year old was awakened in the middle of the night because she heard water running and wondered why her Mom was taking a shower in the middle of the night. She stepped off her bed into 3 inches of water on the floor. She immediately woke everyone up and they called 911 who told them to evacuate the house after turning off the power breaker and then 911 hung up on them. When they opened the door to go to the car they were slammed against the wall by a wall of water coming in the door. They made it to the carport, the grandma holding the baby, the 20 year old holding onto the car, but the 16 year old was trapped in the middle of driveway with water rising all around her. She was afraid to move as she could feel it would suck her feet out from under her if she picked them up---which it did and she was swept away but thankfully able to grab a tree and hold onto it. Now here is what I call the "God part". There just happened to be (this is 1am in the morning) a city work crew in a huge front end loader at the end of their street who was watching them and hollered to the girl to hang on and they were able to drive in and rescue her--then they were able to form a chain to pass the baby from one to another til it was safe in the loader. Then they drove the loader to the other two who climbed in the bucket of the front end loader which carried them to the end of the street where it was dry. There was a policeman at the end of the street who told them to walk to the high school. The mother was frantic to get the workmen to go back down the street and help their elderly neighbors who were in their underwear outside clinging to the columns of their front porch so they were also rescued. The family said that while they had a creek in their backyard, the water was not coming from that but from somewhere else and this had never happened before.
The city (Round Rock) was overwelmed with 911 calls and simply could not handle it. Fire crews were sent to the most severe cases and most areas were left to save themselves and their neighbors. And in this case, I do not think the weather radio really would have helped much as they had been giving flash flood warnings and small stream advisaries but they were not very specific other than telling you which counties. They could not predict which areas were most dangerous. 911 did make calls to some people telling them to get out but by that time their vehicles were flooded and they could only walk out. A very scary situation. I honestly do not know how you could prepare for this if your area had never flooded before and you thought you would be safe. So I would say, you must know where to cut your power off. If you are swept away keep your head above water and grab a tree or post or anything stable and hang on tight. And most of all help your neighbors--do not expect that someone else will come to help them.
An added blessing to the story above: the 16 year old had a pet guinea pig whom they thought for sure died in the flood as the water was over 5 feet inside their home. So a family friend went back to the house alone once the waters had receded to take care of the dead pet. But when he walked in the door he heard the squeak, squeak sound the guinea pigs make. He was alive! What had saved him was he had been making such a mess on the floor with his litter that they had placed his cage in a rubbermaid tub so he kinda floated around all night in the tub but safe from the water. So it was a thrilling sight for the 16 year old to see her pet come out of the house alive.

I have more stories to tell but need to get to Bible study so will send them later.