Emergency crews were searching for four men Monday whose RV was among those swept away as floodwaters in an RV park in a small West Texas city, prompting dramatic rescues by helicopters and boats.
This story by Ryan Tarinelli and Jamie Stengle originally appeared in the StarTribune.
Heavy rains fell Sunday night and into Monday morning in Junction, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) west of Austin. Kimble County Sheriff Hilario Cantu said no fatalities have been confirmed but that “all the RVs, everything, got swept away.”
Texas Game Warden Rachel Kellner said the four missing men worked together and were swept away before daybreak by the South Llano River.
Authorities said 19 people were rescued – 15 by boat and four by helicopter – and 40 people were evacuated from the South Llano RV Park. Kellner said two of the people rescued by air were in a tree with a family dog.
She said all those rescued have been checked out by medical emergency personnel, but it’s unclear if any required hospitalization.
Cantu said state and local agencies were helping with the rescues. Authorities said the city of about 2,500 people had been without electricity earlier, but it’s been restored.
