INGRAM, Texas – Just days after devastating floods swept through Ingram, rental property manager Eddie Matthews returned to his riverfront properties to assess the damage and help renters displaced by the disaster.
Matthews evacuated 75 renters from two properties along the river — River Oaks Lodge and Casa Blanca — as floodwaters rose rapidly.
“They were calling panicked, saying we need rescue,” Matthews said. “Their cars were already underwater. We were able to get them out safely.”
Later that night, Matthews heard someone trapped in a cabin that had been knocked off its foundation and was still submerged.
“We got him out and took him to safety,” Matthews said. “He had no power, no water and no food, so he was pretty dehydrated. I gave him some Gatorade from my truck.”
Cars left parked by renters were submerged and are now totaled and covered in mud. But Matthews said the loss of property is not what weighs heaviest on him.
“You do know people who did not survive this flood,” said KSAT’s Courtney Friedman, who stayed at one of the rental homes just days before the flood.
“Yes, and I think that was a pretty big burden as we got a lot of news reports throughout the day,” said Matthews.
Matthews, who is deeply connected to the community as a former camp counselor and Kerrville Tivy High School employee, remains determined to rebuild despite the devastation.
“We’re not giving up. It’s very important for us to want to rebuild because we love this community,” Matthews said. “I want them to keep coming, and I’m going to make it so.”
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