Amarillo family holds on to hope after losing everything in devastating Texas floods
The FOX Forecast Center said Amarillo is now working with a surplus of 6 to 9 inches more rain than it typically would have by this time of year.
Families still recovering from Amarillo, Texas flood
Kimberly Hamlin’s parents lost their home as floodwater overtook the town, where they still have about 18 inches of stagnant water. She joins FOX Weather to talk about the flooding conditions.
AMARILLO, Texas – Recovery continues for families in Amarillo, Texas, after severe flooding earlier this month.
Water still stands inside Mary and Jimmy Puckett's home nearly two weeks after the flooding began.
"I think it's about it's gone down from 20 inches inside the house to about 10 (inches) now," said Kimberly Hamlin, the couple's daughter.
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Her parent's home is in Randall County, a suburb just south of Amarillo. Her uncle lives across the street from her parents, and his home was flooded as well.
"It came in so quickly. We didn't have very much time to grab hardly anything," Hamlin said. "I think we put the couches up, and it was time to go."
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Standing water still stands inside Mary and Jimmy Puckett's home nearly two weeks after the flooding began.
(Kimberly Hamlin)
Hamlin's parents are now living with her after losing about 90% of their belongings – devastated by the loss of their home that had been in the family for generations. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with housing and living expenses.
"We're not expecting much out of it," Hamlin said. "But that's really our only hope at this time."
While the families are still in shock, Hamlin said her 73-year-old father is now dealing with the emotional and mental impacts of the event.
As floodwater overtook the town south of the Greenways playa for two days beginning May 31, Hamlin said the water rose so fast that the family had no time to prepare. It's a life-changing event they wish upon no one.
"It was just awful," Hamlin said. "You've got water coming in the back door, water coming in the front door. You're trying to stop it. Then they meet."
For years, the family said they tried to work with the city, Randall County and FEMA to help mitigate the flooding caused by the nearby development.
"No one's ever ready for something like this," she said. "The flood is devastating, but I think the hardest part, too, is we were caught with no flood insurance."
In February, the family said their insurance company notified them that their flood insurance was canceled, citing they were "no longer in a flood zone."
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The FOX Forecast Center said Amarillo is now working with a surplus of 6 to 9 inches more rain than it typically would have by this time of year.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a severe weather disaster declaration for the region on June 6 in an effort to help those affected by the flooding qualify for federal disaster assistance.