Victims, volunteers recount flood experiences
Georgetown resident Alisha Burton was woken up by a firefighter banging on her door to her RV home in GoodWater RV Park on July 5.
Around 7:30 a.m., Ms. Burton said Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters were checking the San Gabriel River’s rising water. She was told she had about two hours to pack and hitch her RV before it became unsafe.
“What can you gather when you have a short amount of time?” she told the Sun Wednesday. “There was a guy by the river shouting, ‘Guys, the water’s rising!’ ”
When trying to evacuate, she said she noticed that her stabilizing jacks had rusted from the recent humidity. In a race against the clock, the neighbor helped Ms. Burton jack for 20 minutes, before she took the four-mile trek to shelter at East View High School.
“Out of 30 spaces [in the RV park], only three escaped with homes,” she said. “My landlord said the warning system went offline right before the flood. There was no way he could reach out to us.”
Ms. Burton considers herself lucky. She said an older couple visiting family in Liberty Hill had previously moved from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Water rose to their RV, trapping their two dogs, which were rescued by law enforcement.
“I was so impressed with the sheriff’s officer,” Ms. Burton said. “The water had risen so high that he had to break the window and rescue one of the dogs. It was little, probably no more than 10 pounds. He risked his life for this man and his dogs.”
Despite the emergency, Burton said she is safe. The assisted living facility where she works is allowing her to stay for three nights while she searches for housing. In the meantime, she has set up a GoFundMe to help repair her RV jacks.
Now that floodwaters have receded, Williamson County residents are beginning to recover. In Liberty Hill, volunteers set up a distribution center to help those affected.
Liberty Hill got hit with some of the worst damage, with flooded homes west of the city and two of the three confirmed deaths: Kaitlyn Swallow, age 22, and Sherry Merlene Richardson, age 64, who worked at Hope House. Both were from the Liberty Hill area. Williamson County has yet to release the third name.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” said Kate Bunch, organizer and volunteer for the distribution center. “Cross Tracks Church was kind enough to open up their doors for all of the donations to get staged, sorted and ready to come here to Liberty Hill Middle School.”
She said operations began Tuesday at 10 a.m. for flood victims and those assisting them to collect cleaning supplies and other necessities. A common topic of conversation, she said, was how quickly the floodwaters rose.
“A lot of people had some water in their yard, and it went from some water to a rushing river in their house within minutes, where they’re trying to get out and weren't able to immediately, which is pretty scary for them,” Ms. Bunch said. “Also it's underrated with the herds of cattle that have been lost and how to manage that. So those are definitely like the unspoken situations right now.”
As volunteers assisted flood victims Wednesday morning, Liberty Hill residents tearfully shared their experiences while listing what they needed. Most said they were okay, just overwhelmed.
Donations came from businesses such as H-E-B and Home Depot, as well as local residents. The middle school gym was lined with cleaning supplies, hygiene products, clothing, food, shoes and more. So many items came in that Ms. Bunch said they stopped accepting donations.
One volunteer jokingly compared the gym to shopping at H-E-B with the lights off because of the large volume of supplies. But others noted that many people seeking help were still hesitant to take what they needed.
“It’s so sad,” volunteer Trish Harris said. “Some people don’t want to take too much when they’ve lost everything.”
Ms. Bunch said Liberty Hill residents in need can visit www.experiencelhtx.com/flood-disaster-relief/ to request supplies, which will be delivered. The offer also extends to those outside the city limits.
“We have more than enough for everybody,” Ms. Bunch said. “Please come and get extra if you need it. We have it and we can get more.”
The biggest takeaway from the experience, Ms. Bunch said, is that while the world often feels divided, crises show how united people can be.
“I think it’s really important to remember that going forward,” she said. “When you start feeling frustrated by your neighbors at the end of the day, every single one of us is a human. When it matters, we come together.”