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‘I feel like I’ve lost everything’: Live Oak woman says nearby construction contributed to flooding

Caren Holmes said her neighborhood isn’t an area that normally floods

LIVE OAK, Texas – A Live Oak woman is figuring out how to move forward after Thursday’s floods poured inches of water into her home.

“I can’t put it into words, honestly,” said Caren Holmes, who is still living in the home. “I feel like I’ve lost everything.”

Video shows water pooling inside Holmes’ bedroom. She said she woke up to the sound of one of her Yorkies jumping into water.

>> What we know about the devastating San Antonio floods that killed 13 people

Last week, KSAT spoke with several Live Oak residents who had similar issues.

Holmes said her neighborhood isn’t an area that normally floods.

“Not even in the floods of ‘98,” she said.

Cleanup has taken days. Holmes said neighbors have come by to help.

“We’ve had to throw away a bunch of that stuff because it was already mildewing,” Holmes said.

Her birthday is Friday, and instead of using gift cards to treat herself, she’s had to spend it on a pressure washer.

The damage spills out from her home into the backyard. Parts of the fence were washed away, and water filled a shed.

Holmes said she doesn’t have flood insurance, so the cost of the damage will come from her own pocket.

“I’d never dreamt of being in a situation like this,” she said.

Holmes believes nearby construction at Interstate 35 and Shin Oak Drive, as well as a new pickleball facility, contributed to the damage.

“I don’t know how we’re going to fix (it) all, I don’t know how were going to rebuild,” she said. “I don ‘t know what we’re going to do.”

In a statement to KSAT, the City of Like Oak said crews immediately began to clear streets and ditches after the heavy rainfall.

“We have conducted a windshield assessment shortly after the storm and have started communicating with the impacted property owners,” the city said.

KSAT also reached out to the Texas Department of Transportation, who did not respond to the inquiry for this story.

In response to last week’s story about construction complaints, TxDOT issued the following statement:

“There was a significant amount of rainfall in a short period of time overnight and this morning. The I-35 construction project has not impacted or altered the existing drainage facilities near Shin Oak Drive. Our project team will look into this further.”


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