The following report is from USA TODAY.
As rain fell in heavy sheets and the Guadalupe River muscled over its banks with astonishing speed, David Chambers knocked on one door after another at his RV resort.
The once-idyllic RV park – named Guadalupe Keys Resort to evoke the laid-back vibe of the Florida Keys – boasted nine, fully-furnished RVs for rent (each with its own BBQ pit), a small sandy beach shaded by towering cypress trees and lawn chairs for lounging and watching the gentle flow of the Guadalupe.
At 6:50 a.m. July 4, that same river was foaming and galloping – and headed their way.
“You got to get out!” Chambers yelled into one RV after another until all 15 people who had rented the units had evacuated.
Minutes later, the brown water had completely covered the park, flipping RVs upside down, smashing them against trees and stacking them in a corner of the park. The flood waters pushed others miles downstream.
On July 7, Chambers sat on one of the lawn chairs with friends and recalled the frantic moments when the river mauled his park. He was glad he was able to alert his residents and hustle them to safety.
But he – like others along the Guadalupe River corridor – said he was stunned not to have had better warning.
“It just came so fast,” Chambers, 77, said. “A warning system would have given us more than just 30 minutes.”
