ROUND ROCK – Tuesday night was a long night for residents who live on Hairy Man Road along Brushy Creek in Round Rock.
“This is devastating,” said resident Bill Myers. "We got the telephone call for evacuation at 3:30 this morning."
It is a long night of evacuations that's given way to a long day of clean-up.
"It's been crazy," said homeowner Brian Dockery. "We've been up. We've called our insurance. We called the police and let them know that we're safe."
Dockery's back-yard hot tub nearly floated away in the overnight flooding.
The floodwaters also ripped away fencing around a cow pasture.
Much of the debris and garbage slammed into the bridge over Brushy Creek. For much of the morning it was under the waters of Brushy Creek. When the floodwaters finally went down, it became apparent they were strong enough to rip the pavement right off the road.
For county crews and residents tucked away on this stretch of Brushy Creek, it will be a long road ahead. Some of the residents who evacuated were sent to the Clay Masden Recreation Center on Gattis School Road.
The Red Cross set up a shelter and gave them a place to shower off and get clean clothes.
"You have to just wait, see if the water is going to rise, and take care of the safety of your family,” said Dockery.
Upstream, flash-flooding swamped brushy creek park in Cedar Park. The waters rose, submerging stop signs, inundating the baseball diamond, and putting the playground under feet of floodwater.
"Seeing structures underwater that aren't usually under water, it's just interesting,” said Scott Larson.
Larson brought his family to see the flooded playground where his son usually plays. Others came to document the historic flooding, including Sara Abbess who runs a website about Cedar Park.
"I heard it all night, but seeing it in person is a little bit different,” she said.
Floodwaters touched the bottom of the Parmer Lane Bridge over Brushy Creek. Powerlines alongside the bridge hung just inches from the water. Drivers stopped to take photos of the high water, as Cedar Park police patrolled the bridge.
The overnight rains are also to blame for dramatic driving conditions elsewhere. The creek rose, covering Brushy Creek Road near Parmer Lane. The rising water surrounding businesses nearby, too. While Cedar Park residents came out to see the flooding for themselves many worry about what happens when the rain stops falling and the floodwaters recede.
Fewer than a half-dozen evacuees remain in the shelter in Round Rock. However, Red Cross officials say the need in the coming days will be for volunteers to help elderly and poor flood victims clean-up their home. Click here for information on how to contact the Red Cross of Central Texas.
