GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — After months of living in an RV and facing the aftermath of devastating flash flooding in Gatesville, Samatha Saxon finds hope as her home slowly recovers.
“It’s been stressful,” Saxon said. “Knowing what damages were from flooding, or what could have been in your home beforehand and not knowing it was there, seeing the actual water damage in places you thought were fine, was kind of disheartening.”
Last spring, flooding covered parts of the community, leaving homes filled with mold and water damage. Seven months later, Saxon and her neighbors still grapple with the destruction.
“It would be nice to have our house back because I am paying for all this extra stuff that I don’t want to pay for, and all my stuff is in storage,” Saxon said.
Walking around her property, Saxon pointed out the damage caused by the floodwaters. She showed 25 News’ Allison Hill the water that reached surprising heights, revealing damage in areas that might not be immediately visible.
“You don’t see it from the stone because you see a stone exterior, but the water went underneath this, where it’s pure and beam right here," Saxon said. "It went under the rock, through the concrete, and cracked the concrete."
As construction crews continue to rebuild, Saxon’s hope for a return to normalcy grows, though much work still needs to be done. Her neighbors, whose homes were also severely impacted, face similar struggles.
“His property and my property were the ones that had the water flowing through, but I know their damage was more extensive because the water went up past their front door,” she said, referring to homes down the street that were also hit hard by the flooding.
While Saxon and her neighbors remain in recovery mode, she believes the community is slowly but surely rebuilding.
“I don't want somebody else to go through it,” Saxon said. “Even if it's a 1-in-50-year chance of it happening, I don't want to leave a mess for somebody else to clean up.”
As crews work to restore homes and bring the community back to its former state, Saxon and her neighbors hold onto hope that the worst is behind them.
For now, the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter.
Saxon said they are expected to be home in February.
