LIVINGSTON, Texas – Heavy rains and severe flooding have prompted officials in Polk County to issue a mandatory evacuation for certain low-lying areas along the Trinity River.
One family says they learned the hard way this morning. They say they could’ve lost their lives if it wasn’t for the help of their furry companion.
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“Well, I had a couple of panic attacks, being a mom and trying to save your kids,” said Tina Kaspers. She and her husband, Dwayne Stuebe credit their two-year-old service dog, Bud, for saving their family’s life around 2:30 a.m. Monday morning.
“When he (Bud) woke us up, I initially told him to go lay back down and then she said something about him, he’s trying to warn us,” Stuebe said.
The Lonestar Inn in Livingston where they had been staying for two months was flooding.
“So, I crawled out of the bed and that’s when I stepped in about a foot deep of water, noticed it was coming in the door,” he said.
“I had to get my kids out somehow because all I could think of was the water, the light sockets, and then the bed frames are all metal,” Kaspers said.
Stuebe and Kaspers’ daughters escaped through a window. He was forced to open the door to safely get Bud and Kaspers out. Kaspers has limited mobility after a rollover crash left her with a broken neck a few months back. Their Jeep, all their belongings now a total loss, but they have a safe place to sleep. A shelter set up with the help of the American Red Cross at the Dunbar Gym Facility nearby.
“We have the supplies on hand to handle more people and we are expecting more people we just don’t know when they’re coming,” said American Red Cross Shelter Supervisor, Catherine Homer.
As of mid-day Monday, more than ten people including Stuebe, Kaspers, her kids and their dog Bud had taken advantage of the space.
The family says the water has since receded from the motel where they were staying, but in other areas near Lake Livingston like FM 1988 near 59, there was still massive flooding. Reasons why those emergency precautions are still in effect.
The Polk County Office of Emergency Management is urging residents to regularly check its Facebook page for updates about the mandatory evacuation issued for low lying areas near the Trinity River. Officials say as water trickles down from Dallas and possibly more rain on the way, they’re continuing to release water from the Lake Livingston Dam. While it will cause the Trinity River to swell further, which likely means more flooding, officials say it’s an effort to prevent more serious consequences.