Flooded road traps neighborhood

Heavy rains flooded many low-water crossings in Central Texas, but in one area the water got so deep, 10 families were trapped inside their neighborhood.

Squirrel Run Rd. in Bastrop County is only about 20 feet wide and it leads to a neighborhood filled with kids and parents who worry every time rain is on the radar.

"Last week, we couldn't leave for two days," said Jennifer Whitaker. "The water gets so high that it makes it impossible to get out."

Whitaker, along with her neighbors, wants Bastrop County to help keep the road in good shape, so that it won't flood so easily. However, they said because the road is too narrow, the county doesn't get involved with its upkeep.

"They need 30 ft. to county maintain it and it's only 20 ft. wide," said resident Steve Kinsey, who often clears the road himself with a tractor. "The least they could do is come in and bring us some gravel."

"My understanding is its not a county maintained road and I don't have the authority to spend taxpayer funds on that road," said Clara Beckett, the Bastrop County Commissioner in charge of that precinct. "It's not unique to Bastrop County. There are about 50 miles of roads here that are the same."

The residents on Squirrel Run Rd. have built a bridge over the low-water crossing, so they can at least leave on foot. However, the water was so high Monday morning that even the bridge was impassible.

"It was skimming the bottom of the bridge," said another resident, Rhonda Meyers. "So, the kids and I all walked back home and had to skip work and school."

The residents plan to continue to battle it out with the county, but in the meantime, they're first having to contend with mother nature.

"I'm just worried if the rain keeps up, we'll keep getting flooded and miss work and school," said Whitaker.