Volunteers begin flood cleanup
Damaged furniture and trash line Bunk Gibb Road in Burnet, where most of the units at Hamilton Creek Manor were damaged by flash flooding. The floods hit the area at around 4 a.m. Saturday, July 5. Many of the low-income housing units will have to be demolished, according to officials. Staff photo by Suzanne Freeman
They came prepared with rubber boots, gloves, N-95 masks, and other supplies necessary to muck out flooded homes in the Highland Lakes. Around 40 men and women of all ages filled a room at the Mission Center on R Street in Marble Falls on Monday, July 7, while Jason Coleman, a volunteer with Ark of Highland Lakes, gave a brief training in Muck Out, just one of several groups that have been deployed in the wake of the Fourth of July flood.
Ark of Highland Lakes, originally called the Highland Lakes Crisis Network, formed in the wake of the October 2018 flood that swept away the RM 2900 bridge in Kingsland.
“This flood is different than the flood in 2018,” Coleman said. “It happened faster and caught so many people by surprise.”
Burnet residents along Hamilton Creek were some of the hardest hit by flash floods from torrential rains that began Thursday, July 3, and continued through the weekend. According to the National Weather Service, the Burnet and Bertram area received over 12 inches of rain July 1-5; Marble Falls received 11 inches. The area was still under a flood warning from the NWS as muck teams headed out on Monday.
“Scoop, shop vac, power wash, then scoop and shop vac again,” Coleman told volunteers.
He explained how to cut sheet rock one foot above the water line, how to safely handle fiberglass insulation, and where to put items homeowners want to keep and where to dispose of the rest.
“Respect the homeowner’s wishes,” Coleman said. “Explain what you are going to do and set expectations. This is a hard time for people. Be aware of that.”
Leaders self-selected and picked team members, with the largest group going to Hamilton Creek Apartments at 805 S. Water St. in Burnet. The job there is simple, Coleman said: Help residents pack the remains of their belongings because most of the duplex units are set for demolition.
Only about eight of the around 60 units at Hamilton Creek Manor, also at 805 S. Water St., are still liveable, according to Raynell Atkinson, who has resided in a unit near U.S. 281 for 23 years.
“I got some water on the floor, but not too much,” she said. “I’m going to sleep in my bed tonight.”
The units along Bunk Gibbs Road are all funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Many of the elderly residents are now without a place to live.
Shandra Langston of Georgetown said her parents, Carlus and Lorease Noah, 84 and 82 respectively, are now in a hotel, but she has no idea what will happen to them long term. They each have their own unit and have lived in them for more than 30 years. As the closest units to the creek, they were some of the hardest hit.
“They lost everything,” Langston said. “My mom called me at 4 in the morning and she said, ‘Something’s flooding.’ The water was up to her waist.”
Volunteers also received training on how to deal with stressed-out residents.
“The first thing you do is meet the client, hear their needs, and pray with them,” Coleman said. “It’s sometimes hard to realize their heart is more important than their house. This is not about their stuff; it’s about them.”
Around 70 volunteers swarmed Wildflower Meadows Independent Living on CR 340A in Burnet on Sunday, July 6, to help muck out units. All residents have been temporarily moved, according to Ed Schaefer, whose daughter and son-in-law own the facility.
“I teared up when I saw all those cars,” Schaefer said. “There was nowhere to park so many people turned up to help. This community is really something.”
HOW TO HELP OR GET HELP
Those who need assistance or want to volunteer can register on the Ark of Highland Lakes website.
Residents and business owners who sustained flood damage are urged to report it through the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s iSTAT, according to a media release from the city of Burnet.
“This helps Burnet County Emergency Management document the full extent of local damage and pursue state and federal recovery assistance,” reads the release.
Residents and businesses located within Burnet city limits are asked to place flood-related debris and brush at the curb. To the greatest extent possible, hazardous materials such as pesticides, paint, and appliances containing Freon should be separated from general debris. The city is working with Burnet County to establish an emergency debris site and will begin haul-off as soon as the state has approved the location.
A city of Burnet flood response webpage has been created to provide updates, resources, and answers to frequently asked questions. If you observe any issues related to the flood that you believe the city should be aware of, visit the city’s Report It webpage.
