WillCo homeowners recover from floods

Williamson County (KXAN) - Residents affected by Tuesday night's floods in Round Rock and Georgetown returned back home to pick up the pieces Wednesday afternoon.

The Lake Creek neighborhood in Round Rock received heavy water damage. Several homes had up to three feet of water inside their homes, prompting many to go to nearby shelters.

"We stayed up until about 2:00 in the morning and we went to bed and were in bed for just a few minutes and we heard a gurgling sound," said Arlen Jones. "And I got up and turned the lamp on and the bathroom was already flooded. It came up that quick, so we didn't have time to get anything."

Jones and his wife, Mary, were able to grab their dog and flee their home in their vehicles.

"We managed to get out, but we literally had to almost swim out our backyard back around the house to get out," said Carlton Wertz. He lives next door to the Jones's.

"I think we have a total loss, but we're fortunate that we have flood insurance so we're happy about that," said Carlton's wife, Patty Wertz.

In Georgetown, the Quail Valley neighborhood received flood damage when a drainage ditch wasn't able to swallow up enough water.

"There's a creek back there, but it didn't come up at all. It was 100 percent the drain and you could see the whole street and you could see the water was literally the force coming down," said Mandy Laurie.

Her home had nearly a foot of water built up inside as a result of that rainwater. Mandy, her husband and 16-year-old son were able to escape and get to higher ground. But the situation was similar to something the Laurie family has experienced before.

"Five years ago during Hurricane Katrina we lost everything and we just know what it's like to lose everything in a flood," she said, choking back tears. "And then to move here and to be told we're not even in a 100-year flood plain, it's not supposed to flood. It's supposed to be safe."

Laurie said they don't have insurance because that area is not supposed to flood. They are packing up their belongings and starting to remove the soggy carpet from their home.

Anyone who might be willing to donate carpet or drywall to the Laurie family or other residents in that neighborhood can e-mail the KXAN News reporter here and he will put helpers in contact with the family.