American Red Cross

Waist-Deep Water Floods Grand Prairie Apartments

NBC 5 is teaming up with the Red Cross and Kroger to assist Texans affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding. People can go to any Kroger in DFW and drop loose change into coin boxes located at every checkout stand. The money goes directly to support disaster relief efforts for the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

The American Red Cross is assisting dozens of people in Grand Prairie, after feet of water rushed up into their apartments early Friday.

A creek near the Fox Hollow apartments flooded badly, causing the water to rapidly rise over the sandbags the complex had laid out.

Grand Prairie firefighters went door-to-door asking residents to evacuate.

"When I got down here the water was up to [my waist]," said Angelle Gossom, who lives at the complex. "I'm not a very tall person, but that's extremely high water."

The water made its way into many first floor apartments. After it receded late Friday morning, residents came back to find most of their furniture, floors and appliances waterlogged.

Though not quite to this extent, residents say they've had to deal with water in their parking lots and homes several times this spring.

"It's very frustrating that nothing is really happening," said Gossom. "It's disheartening and it's just dangerous."

Signs have been put up in one section of the complex, warning residents that they're in a flood zone and that their vehicles could be flooded if they park them there.

A city spokesperson tells NBC 5 it's difficult to mitigate episodes like these when the area is having record rainfall. They say they continue to monitor flood prone areas and are trying to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to control releases from area reservoirs, so as not to add to the problem.

City employees were sent out to the complex Friday morning to inspect the units. Officials say that will allow the apartment managers to begin making repairs so residents won't be displaced for as long.

The Red Cross opened a shelter for those affected at the Tony Shotwell Life Center in Grand Prairie. They also have a response team that will visit the complex to determine the various needs and help the people who live there.

Standing water remains in many parts of Arlington after flash flooding, with more rain expected over the weekend.

Water Carries SUV onto Arlington Homeowner's Yard

High and fast-moving water early Friday carried an SUV into an Arlington woman's yard.

Sue Jones lives on Doty Lane in South Arlington, which backs right up to Rush Creek. Heavy rains sent the creek surging out of its bed and into Jones' and her neighbors' yards.

Although water did not get inside her house, it did reach her garage.

As she watched the water rise, Jones noticed lights in her yard and realized an SUV was sitting there with water nearly up to its hood.  She called 911 immediately.

"Police and fire came out, got to the car, and no one was in it," said Jones. "I just pray that whoever was in it got out and they're safe."

It's not clear where the SUV came from.

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