Fayette County issues mandatory evacuation order due to Colorado River threat

The mandatory evacuation order was issued by Fayette County authorities on August 27th.

PARTS OF FAYETTE COUNTY UNDER MANDATORY EVACUATION

Dan Wedding’s neighborhood in La Grange started to flood earlier the same morning.

Wedding said it didn’t take two knocks at his trailer door to convince him and his friend to be out by the  3 p.m. deadline.

"Fortunately I had most of my stuff already out, because I was remodeling. I was going to be leaving, she was going to be renting. For me I was going to go on the road to do some work, looks like I’ll be staying here working," said Wedding.

The last thing Wedding took was his weather beaten American flag. Next door Joanna Rodriguez and her family loaded up three vehicles with clothes and keepsakes. Their destination was still in question.

"I don't know yet ... We don’t know where we are going yet," said Rodriguez.

Dewey Powel and his wife decided to hooked up their trailer and haul it away after the evacuation order was issued.  But they thought they'd at least have time to grab a bite to eat.

"I was fixing to go. I was unhooking stuff and I just came inside. She had brung (sic) a bunch of biscuits up, out of the oven ready to go, and that’s when the sheriff's knocked on the door and said look you need to speed up," said Powel.

As residents left - storm drains became overwhelmed. A gas leak was detected and utility crews moved in to cut off the electricity. Across town Mother Nature took care of the power when a tree fell across power lines.

As the rain continued to fall, the water continued to rise, in one part of La Grange. But county officials warn, the threat is not just for those who live close to the river this storm just may flood parts of the county that have never flooded before.

Near Round Top, ponds and stock tanks swelled and overflowed. Roads were swamped and closed. Water accumulated in bottom land and pushed back into creeks.

And in the small town of  Fayetteville,  water rushed over a roadway cutting off the only viable escape route for several residents. With each downpour the water got closer to the home of Larry and Barbara Swider.

Sleep will be restful, at least for Barbara. "One eye open, I will, he doesn't seem to worry about it as much as I do. We'll see.”

A long night  that could become a longer week.