Flood sweeps through Belton streets, homes
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As the rain fell in the City of Belton Wednesday morning, Nolan Creek began to swell.
Fast and heavy rainfall swallowed up some city parking lots, and Bell County employee Rodney Hess was among those who lined the street to see Mother Nature at work.
"It's pretty amazing, never seen it like this in the 13 years that I've worked here," he said.
Just down the road, long-time Belton resident Robert Dominguez Jr also watched the water inch closer and closer to the Gin, a retail and restaurant complex he owns.
Dominguez said he had been watching the water even before daybreak, after he received word that some of his equipment in the parking lot may be in danger of washing away.
Although he considers himself lucky since his building suffered no damage, the irony of the heavy rainfall was not lost on him.
"I've been here all my life, haven't seen water like this since the early 70s, for it to happen three weeks after we open," he said.
Just a couple blocks away, parts of Central Avenue remained submerged underwater, as multiple agencies in the area were called in to help.
As part of a mutual aid agreement, teams from Temple, Fort Hood, Morgan's Point and Moffat joined in the rescue effort.
According to City Manager Sam Listi, the teams assisted in the rescue of 40 victims.
Vickie Walker said her parents, who own a home along the flooded area, were able to get out on their own. However, they're not entirely looking forward to returning home.
"Houses down there are probably going to have to be completely redone because the mud and stuff. You can't clean it up," she said.
For her parents, who do not have insurance to cover the damage, the potential loss of all of their belongings and the thought of starting over is hard to swallow.
"It's devastating because you don't know what to do, you don't know where to begin, where to start, who to talk to, anything," she said.
According to officials with the City of Belton, the Salvation Army is working with the First Baptist Church in Belton to open up as an emergency shelter.