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‘Hasn’t been this bad since Harvey': Woodloch residents in Montgomery County brace for more flooding
Several residents evacuated Thursday night. Others who stayed had to be rescued by airboats on Friday.
WOODLOCH, Texas — Residents in the Woodloch community of Montgomery County continue to feel the brunt of flooding along the West Fork of the San Jacinto River following days of heavy rain.
Many streets were flooded in Woodloch, making them impassable by car.
Several residents evacuated Thursday night. Others who stayed had to be rescued on Friday.
KHOU witnessed some of those rescue operations along River Oaks Drive which is near the West Fork.
One of the men rescued said he had stayed behind to look after animals he takes care of but by the time he tried to evacuate, he realized the water level had risen dramatically.
“It rose so fast, I mean, in a matter of minutes,” Gustavo Rivera told KHOU after he had been rescued. “It was so fast that I just couldn’t, you know, make a decision, I would have to stay there for my safety.”
Further north of River Oaks Drive, other streets were also underwater.
“Very stressful, very stressful, even though we kind of grew up with this happening, it hasn’t been this bad since [Hurricane] Harvey,” Cindy Barco told us. “One of my aunt’s houses and one of my friend’s houses, a lot of people that are down the street, their [houses are] completely covered.”
Barco said the flooding event is significant compared to what they are used to in the area.
“It’s still surreal to know that it’s come up this high again,” Barco said. “It’s just crazy, you know, you’re able to drive down the street and see the river kind of from afar, and now it’s just overtaken everything, so it’s crazy.”
One man had evacuated the night before but returned Friday to get a car seat needed for his child. He walked through high water and front yards to get to his home.
When he returned, it was even worse.
“The water is still rising,” the man said. “I came back through here about an hour ago, and it was like about four or five feet from my house and now it’s right up at the doorway.”
Montgomery County ESD 4 Fire Chief Kevin Hosler was monitoring the water rescue operations in the area and said the situation highlighted the importance of residents having a planned course of action in the event of a flood emergency.
“Having a plan is crucial,” Hosler told KHOU. “Knowing your weather, staying up with your weather, having your plan, having emergency contacts, staying in contact with your emergency contacts and heeding the warnings. If you have flooded before and you have any doubt, be on the safe side of it and go ahead and evacuate to a safer location.”