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The Flooding Continues
July 17, 2007Well....Tuesday the 26th it rained like freaking crazy.
I was on TO golf duty for most of the week, so Wed. and Thursday I wasn't on the heavy rain coverage...but I promise you it was out there.
West of town...it rained, and rained and rained.
Water started coming up in houses out in Wranglers Retreat and Horseshoe Bend, to the point that one of our other photographers Jeff was out in houses on Thursday shooting flooding.
They knew it was going to be worse in the coming days....well, on Friday, it was back out to Wranglers Retreat for me.
I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to see, they had set up a few roadblocks for folks....TxDOT first, then the county deputies....but I finally made it down there.
All I had to do was ask the Iowa Park FD if I could hop a ride on their truck...they were more than happy to oblige. Made it a heck of a lot easier to do my job too.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Iowa Park firefighter Tim Sheppard (left) drives a large brush truck through high water on Wranglers Retreat Road. Water levels continued to rise along the Wichita River and it's tributaries Friday afternoon.
We drove through a section of flooded homes that was only a preview of what was ahead. The water covered the road in more than one section, with some of the homes in the middle high and dry for the moment.
They were letting a few trucks in through the first section, the water wasn't too deep on the road, but already a couple feet into the homes on either side.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Only large trucks were allowed beyond the first area of flooding along Wranglers Retreat Road Friday afternoon to retrieve what they could. The entire area would be closed later in the day after the electricity was shut off.
Once the fire truck reached the main area of flooding, the firefighters hopped off the back and were giving the mandatory evacuation orders and alerting whatever residents were left that the electricity would be shut off.
I decided to shuck my socks and hop in the water with them. This next show was holding my camera directly over my head and hoping that one of them turned to look over their shoulders...and luckily, one of them did.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Iowa Park firefighters Scott York (right) and Tim Sheppard (left) walk along the edge of floodwaters through the Wranglers Retreat neighborhood. Water levels continued to rise along the Wichita River and it's tributaries Friday afternoon.
The first thing I noticed about the water when I was wading into it was that it wasn't standing still floodwaters....it was flowing. Fast.
I made it to the side of the road and a mailbox that I wanted to photograph, and my firefighter buddies warned me to be careful of the bar ditch. I was already about two feet in water that was moving at a clip strong enough that I had to put a lot of effort into standing still to get this shot.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Water flows around a mailbox along Wranglers Retreat Road Friday afternoon as floodwaters from the Wichita River inundate the area.
Looking down the street....it wasn't a pretty sight. Mailboxes vanished beneath the water further down, and I can only imagine how high it got inside some of the houses.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Water nearly covers several mailboxes along Wranglers Retreat Road Friday afternoon as floodwaters from the Wichita River inundate the area.
The firefighters could not go any further in their trucks. The road would have likely failed beneath them and the floodwaters were moving even faster up ahead. So we turned around and headed back to the top of the hill.
When I got back there, I noticed several residents just on the edge of the waters, sitting in the back of a truck.
I approached them slowly, and introduced myself, careful to not get to close wiht my cameras or disturb them.
This wasn't the first disaster I've covered, and I know to tread lightly around victims. Sometimes, you'll see on the news where a camera gets right in the face of somebody grieving or whatnot, that's not my style.
I'd much rather build their confidence and get in for a much more personal shot.
While I'm waiting, I see this man on a tractor driving through the water.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Wranglers Retreat resident Robert Giles drives a tractor through high water near his home. Floodwaters continue to rise along the Wichita River and it's tributaries Friday afternoon on Wranglers Retreat off of Hwy. 369.
Turns out...he's friends with Lee Anderson, one of the newspaper veterans in the office. I knew that he'd let me photograph him and he'd talk to me. As soon as I said hello, and he opened up to me, the other people did as well. It was a big relief.
I found out quickly why the two people were waiting in the truck. One of the residents had to go back into his flooded house to retrieve some medicine. He only grabbed enough for three days and it was clear he would be away from his house for longer than that.
He donned a pair of waders (something I should have done as well) and walked right towards me carrying a box of medication.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Wranglers Retreat resident Dan Jansa carries a box of medication through shin-deep waters near his home Friday afternoon. Floodwaters continue to rise along the Wichita River and it's tributaries on Wranglers Retreat off of Hwy. 369.
Well, the day wrapped up for me by chatting with Robert Giles about his house. He told me that in 1987, he stayed as long as he could, and watched the water invade his home. I can't even imagine what that would feel like and frankly, I don't want to know.
It is a slow and painful experience. Tornados and fire...they destroy quickly and without warning....flood waters, you can usually see it coming, slowly rising around your house and finally coming inside like an unwanted guest.
He stood there and looked at his house, and stopped talking for a second...I could sense the emotion he was filling...and snapped this shot. To me, this photo speaks volumes.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Wranglers Retreat resident Robert Giles looks toward his house Friday afternoon. Giles evacuated last night after water began rising in his garage. "I stayed in 1987 and watched it come into my house," Giles says, "I just couldn't stand to watch it this time."
This was my Friday, June 29th.
That afternoon, we heard word that the Eastside might see a little bit of flooding as well. Perhaps water coming up from the storm drains or whatnot....
Nobody knew quite how bad it was going to get and on a Saturday, I was the only witness from the paper with a camera to capture it........
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Comments
these images do a fantastic job of telling the story.
