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American Morning

Tropical Storm Rolls into Texas

Aired June 06, 2001 - 09:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has now been downgraded to a tropical depression. As Allison rolled her way through Texas, some people had to be rescued from rising floodwaters.

And we get that story from reporter Gina Gaston of our affiliate KTRK.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need some boats out here in a bad way. To help these fire department, we need some boats and people.

GINA GASTON, KTRK-TV REPORTER (voice-over): There is only one boat going into the Sagemont (ph) subdivision off Beltway 8 near Beamer (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready? On three.

GASTON: The fast rising water has made these seats the only safe escape for these folks now bailing from their own homes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

GASTON: Ron Dawson's been literally giving his neighbors a lift. Some, too panicked to stand on their own.

RON DAWSON, EVACUEE: Well, we have to go back. There's a snakebite one street over so we have to get there urgently to help them out, so we're just working. We're doing the best we can.

GASTON: His wife, Theresa, says she has never seen flooding like this in her lifetime in this neighborhood.

THERESA DAWSON, EVACUEE: Lots of damage.

GASTON: How long you lived here?

DAWSON: Twenty-two years. I'm 22 years old -- since I was a child. Never a flood in my house before -- ever. GASTON: Most families it -- as the (ph) Jones', loading up only children and family pets.

DENISE JONES, EVACUEE: Like in a matter of probably 30 minutes it just went underwater. We have probably a foot of water in our home and things are just -- everything is destroyed.

GASTON: But others were more reluctant to leave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to bring the kids, too?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, we have a boat.

GASTON: Even though a look inside shows a home that is at least unsafe for their infant, however, it appears possessions and not people are the only losses suffered because of Tropical Storm Allison.

Do you have flood insurance?

CHRIS JONES, EVACUEE: No, we don't. But we're alive and that's what's - that's what counts, so we're OK.

GASTON (on camera): But residents in the Sagemont subdivision are not the only ones forced to evacuate from their homes Tuesday night. If you look behind me there, you can see that folks cannot get into their homes because of flooding down this street. This is Beamer, and so this gas station has become a makeshift parking lot for hundreds of people.

(voice-over): And so, today, the hope is no more rain falls and that indeed their homes and families have weathered the worst of this storm.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Our thanks go out to Gina Gaston of our affiliate KTRK for that report. And that is some nasty looking stuff.

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