Wimberley residents reflect on flood two years later

Today marks two years since the Blanco River started rising to record heights and, ravaged Wimberley overnight.

During the Memorial Day flood, 11 people lost their lives.  In Wimberley, the Blanco River rose to more than 40 feet.  Hundreds of homes were destroyed. 

Stan Starrett who lives right on the Blanco River had been keeping an eye on the rising water.  After nearly 20 years living there, flooding had never been a big problem. 

When he checked his backyard at midnight, he started to worry.
               
First responders came and told them a "wall of water" was coming.  They had to leave in 5 minutes and couldn't take anything with them.
               
Starrett and his family spent the next few nights sleeping on pews at a local church while the reality of the cleanup process set in.
               
"Everybody started showing up to help us.  The help was unbelievable.  Neighbors, people we never saw before all pitched in.  I've never seen such a giving community," Starrett said.

This week Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded an additional $50 million to the State of Texas to help with continuing recovery efforts following flooding in 2015 and 2016.