6 people died and dozens were left homeless when more than 7 inches of rain flooded an east Texas neighborhood in about 30 minutes Friday night.
Timber Drive neighbors and volunteers continued the clean-up Sunday after their weekend started with a fast flood that killed 6 of their own.
On Friday night the small Palestine neighborhood was quickly swallowed by water as storms produced about 7.5 inches of rain in about 30 minutes; the largest, fastest rain event there that many leaders in the city said they could recall.
All of that water pooled into the low lying neighborhood sending water to the roofs of homes.
A 64 year-old woman and her 4 great-grandkids were killed trying to evacuate their home and a driver elsewhere in town also died in the rushing waters.
As of Sunday morning GoFundMe accounts and other fundraisers for the victims had topped $10,000 already as volunteers poured into town to help survivors.
Temporary shelter and provisions are being provided at the local mall; a welcomed sight for residents like Berta May Clark.
Clark said she was in her bed Friday night when the flooding quickly rose from soaking the floor, to stomach level, and before she knew it she was climbing onto a floating couch to keep her head above the water.
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“If they say the water wasn't 10 feet to 12 feet high, I'm here to tell you that it was,” said Clark who rescuers pulled from the house through a window just in time.
Jimmy Davis who lives down the street was pulled from his home in time to see one of his cars float into the woods at the end of the street.
About a dozen homes in the neighborhood were left in ruins during the flood.
Many questioned if there was an issue with drainage in the neighborhood or something else that caused the chaos, though as of Saturday city leaders believed it was just too much water too fast for the area to handle.
The investigation into the situation will continue.
