More Water Rescues In Houston As Flood Waters Rise
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
HARRIS COUNTY (CBS11) - Water rescues continued in the Houston area Tuesday and the death toll from a massive flood grew.
Six people have been killed in the high water and the area is bracing for more rain.
The rising water made things too dangerous for dozens of people at a Harris County assisted living center. Rescuers got 45 people out including some in wheelchairs.
Rescue boats have been bringing evacuees from the surrounding neighborhoods to a nearby dry intersection to try to find a way to meet up with loved ones.
Most of the folks we met thought after getting through Monday that the worst was behind them, but in some places the water just keeps rising.
As we rode a sheriff's rescue boat up and down flooded suburban streets, the scope of the damage became clear. Many homeowners managed to make it through Monday, but Tuesday saw water rise even higher, up the sides of vehicles and trapping people in their homes.
Sheriff's deputies are making these runs about every half hour. They tell us sometimes when people have passed up the first run, by the time they make it around for a second trip, they're ready to get on board.
Sherri Figueroa finally agreed when her husband insisted she and their dog, Spike evacuate even as he chose to stay behind and guard the house.
Spike was a little reluctant but ultimately embraced the rescue boat pic.twitter.com/pMQRa9kYza
— Gabriel Roxas (@gabriel__roxas) April 19, 2016
"It's really hard to explain just waking up in the morning and looking outside and seeing a lake in front of your house, worried that you're going to lose all your possessions," Figueroa said.
Deputies called out house by house looking for a thumbs up from those who chose to stay. After waiting it out Jinae Spear decided with three-year-old twins and a baby on the way, she and her husband needed to evacuate.
"We just wanted to make sure that if we needed to get to the hospital, get any medical attention that we would be able to do so," Spear said.
Families who chose to stay in their homes were encouraged to call the sheriff's department if they changed their minds.
Deputies plan to continue to ride through the neighborhoods as they monitor the water levels in the days ahead.
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)