Wimberley still strong after Memorial Day floods two years ago

It has been almost two years since the deadly Memorial Day floods that ravaged parts of Wimberley.

Hundreds of homes were destroyed and nearly a dozen lives were lost. The town is still left picking up some of the pieces but many say things are finally getting back to normal.

May 2015 will go down in history as one of the wettest months ever for the state of Texas. The non-stop rain is something many will never forget.

Thinking about the Memorial Day floods, two years ago, still brings tears to the eyes of Weatherly Brittain.

"Having all those people that you could turn to, like going up to Ace in the middle of town, you never met a stranger there," says Weatherly Brittain, Wimberley resident.

A concrete slab and structure was all that was left of her home, which sits along the Blanco River.

"It went all the way down to the end of our street," says Brittain.
She says the water rose about 15 feet high, but it didn't stop her family from rebuilding in the exact same spot. A place she says they'll never leave.

"I couldn't think of living anywhere else since this house, my parents built it in 1969. I couldn't imagine anywhere else after living here for 20 years. It just wasn't even a question of starting somewhere new," says Brittain.

The floods destroyed more than 300 homes and 11 people tragically lost their lives. According to the National Weather Service: most of the rain fell from Saturday afternoon into the overnight hours of early Sunday morning, leading to a rapid rise in the Blanco River. In Wimberley, it rose from around 5 feet at 9:00 pm to nearly 41 feet by 1:00 am.

The owner of Cypress Creek Cafe says they became an evacuation center the first night of the flood. It was the only place open on the square - giving people food and shelter.

"I was just happy we could help. I mean, there were a lot of people that were affected by this flood," says Randy Uselton, owner, Cypress Creek Cafe.

Now walking through the heart of Wimberley, you can see that it's thriving. The flood brought a lot of attention to the small town.

"We've had several people from all over Europe that have come in because they happened to see Wimberley when it was underwater. They wanted to come spend the time and support the businesses and people here in Wimberley," says Uselton.

Some businesses along Cypress Creek had to move, others have had to pick up the pieces.
But, they are better prepared in case something happens again.

"I'm smarter now. I don't have anything left on the floor that matters if it gets wet. Everything is in tubs. Everything is in something I can pick up easily," says Kristy Abel, Creekside Vintage.

No matter what, the motto "Wimberley Strong" still carries on. 

Some of the homes are still being rebuilt or remodeled. Many people did not have flood insurance and instead have had to rely on help from family and friends.