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CNN Sunday Morning

Flood Victims in Texas Return Home

Aired July 07, 2002 - 10:12   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Texas, the flooding threat moves west. Part of West Texas are having the same kinds of problems that South Texas has experienced in the past few days. Creeks went over their banks yesterday closing businesses and forcing thousands of residents in the Abilene area to evacuate.

Near San Antonio the Guadalupe River is going down and flood victims are getting look at that damage.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is live now with more on the flooding. Now, Ed, if I remember right, you worked in Texas, didn't you? Wasn't it around this area?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I sure did, as a matter of fact. And it's an area I'm very familiar with. And this is the Guadalupe River just behind me. And about 12 hours ago this house was under water.

And Charles Markham is the owner here. We're going to talk to him just -- in just a second. He's waiting for us out back. But let's get an idea of what he's come home to this morning.

This is a story where the pictures tell the story. There's not much I can add to this, quite honestly, Kyra.

This -- the rush of water came through the back door here, tore apart the walls here. There's a good layer of sand and dirt all over the floor. Carpet is just caked in mud and dirt -- about a foot and a half of mud in some places. A lot of debris also brought into this area.

We'll bring you into the kitchen here as well. By the way, Charles Markham had just finished remodeling his home here with his wife. And they were just putting in the appliances here in the kitchen -- about to put in the appliances. And this is what his kitchen looks like now.

This has not been touched yet. This is exactly the way Charles Markham found the house this morning. The rush of debris here incredibly devastating. You can get here a good picture of just how much damage the flood waters have done as it rushed through here as water was spilling out the windows.

About a foot and a half of mud in the living room. There's also about a foot and a half of mud in the kitchen. There's also a good layer of water still standing. And the walls -- the drywall just basically ripped off of the walls here. And all of this water came through here.

This back door -- and this is still the Guadalupe River -- back here his swimming pool is completely under water. And the river is still running here.

And Charles Markham is here with his dog Sir Bubba (ph). Charles, how are you holding up?

CHARLES MARKHAM, HOMEOWNER: I'm OK.

LAVANDERA: What -- did you expect to see it this bad?

MARKHAM: Not really -- not really. We had hoped that it would not be this way.

LAVANDERA: This is your first flood?

MARKHAM: This is the first one.

LAVANDERA: Can you put into words what it's like? You and your wife had worked so hard on this home and I know she said -- you were telling me she's having a hard time dealing with this as well.

MARKHAM: She is. We spent four months and it's difficult to see your -- after four months nothing. That we've got to start all over but I guess we will.

LAVANDERA: Is it amazing to see just how powerful nature can be at times?

MARKHAM: Yes. We've watched it -- the strange feeling is when you're in the distance and there's nothing you can do than to watch the house go to pieces.

And we did this for the last 24 hours.

LAVANDERA: Well, Charles, good luck to you.

You were saying that he was out of town when you were told to evacuate and his neighbors helped pull a lot of their belongings out of here. So all of the personal belongings and the important things they were able to manage to salvage from this home. So they were very grateful for that at least this morning.

Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Ed -- thanks so much. Hopefully relief efforts will hit that area very soon to help people like Charles.

Ed, thank you.

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