Severe storms in Texas have prompted a significant emergency response, resulting in the rescue of 15 individuals from floodwaters in Williamson County and the surrounding Hill Country. The torrential rains led first responders to undertake multiple water rescue operations late Tuesday night.
Williamson County experienced particularly intense rainfall, with rescue teams mobilizing in response to three separate incidents. Shortly after midnight on Wednesday, the Texas Game Warden’s Search and Rescue Team was called to assist local officials after three men were swept away while in their vehicle near Berry Creek, just outside Florence.
“Your mind is so focused on the mission at hand. It’s not so much of a fear-based thing. Our goal is to get these people out in the safest manner and as quickly as possible,” explained Texas Game Warden Derek Rennspies, reflecting on the urgency of the situation.
The vehicle of the stranded men was carried approximately 30 to 40 yards from the road before colliding with a tree. After being swept downstream, the three men became trapped in trees, prompting a rapid response from first responders who were racing against time.
“Anytime someone’s in the water, obviously time is of the essence. It’s the middle of the night, dark, raining, and the floodwaters are moving very fast,” Rennspies added.
Rescue efforts involved swift water speedboats, which successfully retrieved two of the men, while the last individual was airlifted by a Starflight helicopter. Fortunately, all three men were medically evaluated and found to be unharmed.
This was not the only rescue operation that night. The Georgetown Fire Department, in coordination with Texas Task Force 1, waded through waist-deep water on County Road 152 to rescue another individual stranded in a vehicle. Both the occupant and the rescuers emerged without injuries.
In Burnet County, heavy rains resulted in the closure of at least eight roadways. A rescue near the Cow Creek Bridge was executed, with local authorities confirming the area was cleared by late Tuesday night.
Further south in Atascosa County, cars attempting to navigate low-lying roads were found nearly submerged, illustrating the widespread impact of the storm.
May is typically characterized by heavy rainfall in the region, and recent weeks have kept emergency services, including the Texas Game Wardens, exceedingly busy.
“They have been quite busy. We’ve been deployed with other local agencies multiple times. It’s one of those situations where when it rains, it pours. We may have no calls for weeks or months, but when it starts, it tends to be a fairly frequent call out, especially during this time of year,” Rennspies noted.
He also urged caution, emphasizing that it takes only moments for roadways to become dangerous. “If you see water on the road, please don’t risk it. Turn around. It doesn’t take but a second to be swept off the roadway,” he cautioned.
