Senior citizens evacuated in La Grange as river rises

It was a worrisome wake up call for senior citizens at the Care Inn in La Grange. The Colorado River started to rise a lingering side effect of Hurricane Harvey.

"Kind of inundated with water right now," said La Grange Police Chief David Gilbreath.

Gilbreath said 56 Care Inn residents were evacuated.

"Care Inn was a mandatory evacuation due to the river coming up and coming inside. But we evacuated them before the water got to them," Gilbreath said.

Chief Gilbreath said those who needed special care were taken to a hospital while others were taken to St. Paul Lutheran Church, a designated evacuation shelter. But the Chief said they didn't stay there long.

"Care Inn has a facility in Waco and they transported them to Waco, Texas," he said.

Assisted living facility Jefferson Place decided to voluntarily evacuate.

"Jefferson Place broke daylight and the river was out of its banks, it was nowhere close to Jefferson Place and they voluntarily wanted to leave," he said.

Gilbreath said he's been a La Grange officer since 1985 and he's never had to evacuate a senior citizens facility before. Monday afternoon Jefferson Place residents were taken back a spokesperson for the assisted living facility said 38 residents were evacuated and they are safe and sound.

"They were kind of nervous. Nobody that's around today has seen water this high in La Grange. It's kind of taken everybody by surprise," Gilbreath said.