Central Texas has experienced some pretty bad floodwaters, which have contributed to various incidents in the area involving stranded drivers and overwhelmed roads. On the evening of June 14, the Hewitt area was more waterpark than anything, with fast-moving water on several roads.
During that time, the Hewitt Fire Department had to respond to roughly 15 water rescues. One of the most dangerous incidents involved a driver who was swept into a creek and ultimately ended up stranded in a tree.
At another point during the flooding, a vehicle was swept into the creek. By the end of it, little remained at the scene aside from scattered dirt, broken branches, and signs of just how quickly the water had moved through the area.
The damage has become more than just an inconvenience for various residents and their families. One mother who regularly drives children to practices, camps, and activities, losing access to her car, has disrupted her everyday life.
Flood Waters Destroyed One Family’s Vehicle Overnight
Amber Hunt, a resident in the area, felt like the flood was personal, saying, “I opened the front door, and I saw my car just completely under, and I couldn’t believe it. I heard the rain, but it’s never done anything like that over here.”
“The car won’t start, I can’t roll the windows down, so that’s why the doors are propped open,” she said. “I take his friends, teammates, I gave everybody rides. So I am the Uber.”
Hunt, who lives just outside the Hewitt city line, said the water rose so quickly that there was little time to react. By the time conditions improved, her vehicle had been completely ruined.
One Driver Ended up in a Tree After Floodwaters Took Over
Unfortunately, Hunt’s story was far from the only one firefighters dealt with overnight.
Hewitt Fire Chief Jonathan Christian said crews spent much of the evening responding to emergency calls involving stranded motorists. In many cases, drivers underestimated the danger of water-covered roads and found themselves stuck.
In a statement, Christian said, “We had a lot of water come down quickly in a very short amount of time. Several people drove off into flooded roadways, and cars stalled out.”
“We did have one that got sort of swept out into a creek, and when they got out, they ended up in a tree. We did have to get some assistance from a swift water team that was in the area.”
One Wrong Decision Can Leave Drivers Stranded
Christian believes one of the biggest issues during storms like this is that many drivers misjudge how deep floodwaters actually are. In some cases, standing water may not appear fast-moving or dangerous until it is already too late.
His message to drivers is simple: if water is covering the road, do not risk crossing it.
Even roads that appear manageable can become dangerous in seconds, especially during overnight storms when visibility is limited, and water depths are difficult to judge.