NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – An area that has dealt with flooding and fast-rising waters in the past is dealing with it again.
There was more flooding along the Comal and Guadalupe rivers in New Braunfels on Friday, causing Comal County officials to declare a local state of disaster.
The neighborhood that sits between the Comal and Guadalupe rivers was nearly underwater Friday afternoon.
"I've just been taking pictures of that all morning," said Mary Carter, who lives in the neighborhood. "I'm hoping it doesn't get all the way up to our back patio. It hasn't before, but we hope it never does."
Flood-alert sirens went off early Friday morning in New Braunfels as the National Weather Service forecast significant flooding along the Guadalupe River.
"It came up pretty fast today, because it was barely out of the bank at 8 o'clock," said Doug Carter, Mary Carter's husband. "And it just rose real fast."
The Carters said they have seen this type of flooding before, back in 2002.
"Every time the river comes up, then we see more things floating down, like hot water heaters, ice chests," Mary Carter said. "In 2002, we saw a house float down."
Some of the Carters' neighbors saw this type of flooding in 1998, when some homes were washed away in the flood.
Those neighbors told KSAT that they're not taking any chances. So they packed up and left.
As for the Carters, who built after 1998, they said they're on higher ground and they plan to wait it out.
"If we packed up every time it rained, then we would be worn out," Mary Carter said. "I'm 70 and I'm just not going to do that."
By noon on Friday, Doug Carter said the river had come up at least 20 feet.
For those who had to move out, the Red Cross has opened a temporary shelter at Canyon High School.
The city of New Braunfels said the rains have slowed but the National Weather Service said the area could see moderate to heavy rainfall over the next 8 to 10 hours, as of early Friday evening. A flash flood watch remains in effect until 10 a.m. Saturday.
The city said crews with the New Braunfels Fire Department responded to 17 weather-related incidents on Friday, 13 of which were high water incidents. A total of 25 people were rescued and 175 were evacuated from their homes.
