Flooding forces evacuations in Rockwall neighborhood

ROCKWALL, Texas - Voluntary evacuations were underway Thursday in a Rockwall neighborhood flooded by heavy rains.

Homes in the 500 block of Lakeside Drive near Lake Rockwall had water up to the front doors. Firefighters and police officers were helping residents leave their homes if they wanted. There was no mandatory evacuation order.

At least 15 to 20 households decided to leave their homes. Homes that were once on dry land now sit in feet of water. Oncor cut the power to flooded homes until the water subsides.

As a result of the ongoing rain and rising flood waters, police have closed some of the streets in the area known as Lake Rockwall Estates.

Residents say poor drainage and the fact that the homes sit on a lower elevation often lead to flooding. But they say Thursday’s flooding is next level.

“We don't have storm drains. If it rains for two or three days, it gets like this,” said neighbor Ben Gonzalez. “This is worse than it usually gets.”

Whitney Delgado lives across the street from Rockwall Lake.

“My mom called me at work around 10, and she was like, ‘Your room is starting to get flooded. So you all need to come in to raise your beds and stuff,’” she recalled. “But when we got here, everything was closed off. We really couldn't get in anywhere.”

Delgado says her mother watched helplessly as some of her waterfront neighbors struggled to reach dry land.

“She was outside waving her arms because she was stuck, and this lady was crying,” Delgado said. “It's kind of emotional because it's your house and you have all your stuff here.”

Louisa Fortuna came home from work to find her street blocked off. A firefighter escorted her to her home. She was one of the lucky ones. The flood water stopping shy of her front door.

Helping hands gave affected residents vouchers to stay at a hotel for the night. Police will remain in the area overnight to keep an eye on the homes for looters. Fire crews will keep an eye on water levels.

The concern is more people may end up affected. At least six inches of rain has fallen in the area since Sunday, with two more rounds of storms still forecasted before the rain stops late Saturday.