Updated 06/09/2010 04:39 PM
Flood waters cause damage in New Braunfels
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Heavy flooding in the New Braunfels area has pushed the waters out of the banks of the Guadalupe River.
1.Locate waterways
2.Know alternate routes
3.Avoid driving in a flood
4.Turn around, don’t drown
Authorities say a body has been recovered from the river. Officials are not releasing any other details except to say the body was found in the area of the Gruene Bridge.
Fifteen people have evacuated their homes and have been taken to shelters. The City of New Braunfels has declared the situation an emergency. Dozens of roads around New Braunfels are closed, and New Braunfels officials said by Wednesday afternoon, they had received over 800 emergency calls, about 100 of which were rescue calls.
Some residents were surprised by the impact of Wednesday's storms.
"We didn't think it would be that bad. Just a little rain storm, but we were flooded in our house,” Gruene resident Juan Torres said. “We were just sitting in there last night, now look at it."
Police ask that people only call 911 if they have an actual emergency. They are also urging residents who were not evacuated to stay home if they don't have an urgent reason to go out.
The city has set up several hotline numbers you can call for non-emergencies:
(830) 221-4561
(830) 221-4562
(830) 221-4563
(830) 221-4564
Torres lives near the river. He said floods like this are to be expected.
With the water still raging over the new Gruene Bridge, dozens of neighbors came to see what Mother Nature had done to the nearby businesses.
High levels of flood waters were seen inside Bubba’s Big Deck, a popular bar where many people go when they finish tubing. Rockin’ R River Rides was also completely wiped out. A few blocks away, police worked to keep cars out of flooded areas.
Joseph Kohn has lived in the area for 16 years, this is the fifth time flood waters have damaged his property.
"Took my AC unit out, took my well out, took my deer feeders away. I lost two boats," Kohn said.
He plans to rebuild because he loves where he lives.
“Typical flood, but if you want to live on the water, you got to pay the price," he said. (Article continues after slideshow.)
The waters have since receded, revealing the damage and the debris left by the water. All rivers in the area are closed.
About 13 miles southeast of New Braunfels, residents living within one mile of the Guadalupe River in Seguin are required to evacuate their homes.
The Guadalupe River is expected to crest at 13.4 feet above the intersection with the Comal River. That is close to seven feet above flood stage.
At the peak of the storm, several water rescues took place between New Braunfels and San Antonio.
Wilde spoke to someone who witnessed a man being rescued.
News 8's Russell Wilde filed this video report via the mobile video-sharing site Qik.com. Click the link to view more videos from Wilde.