Minnesotan expected to be OK after suffering heart attack while escaping flash floods in Texas
The death toll from the flooding in Texas continues to rise, and the tragic loss is being felt close to home.
Eighty-nine people have died so far, including 27 counselors and campers at an all-girls summer camp that sits along the Guadalupe River.
Some Minnesotans have also been caught in the tragic events.
"It rose 30 feet in an hour," Wes Glenna said.
Glenna, who lives in Grant, Minnesota, said his parents, Lyle and Sue, split their time between Minnesota and Texas. This summer, they've been living and working at a campground on the Guadalupe River in Kerrville. On Friday morning, they barely escaped with their lives.
"They were able to get into their truck and they were able to honk a warning out to a lot of people at the campground, which definitely helped some people make it out," Glenna said.
But in the five to eight minutes it took for the Glennas to get to high ground, their campground was completely and tragically taken over by floodwaters.
"They lost friends, visitors, co-workers, definitely. They got to watch it happen and it was very tragic for them for sure," Glenna said.
Glenna said his dad suffered a heart attack during the evacuation but is expected to be OK.
"They lost everything. They have nothing except for their truck and the clothes on their backs," Glenna said.
"It was storming, and we kept getting Snapchat videos of what was happening," said Alexis Gagnon, who lives in Coon Rapids, Minnesota.
Gagnon said her grandparents own a home near Victoria, Texas, where her aunt was staying with her dogs. The fast-rising river forced a spur-of-the-moment evacuation.
"The back side of the house, the walls are caved in. The pool is completely gone. Their sheds and chicken coops gone," Gagnon said. "Mother Nature had different plans."
Gagnon said the flood destroyed the home and personal belongings, but she's thankful her aunt and grandparents are OK.
"And that's one thing we are grateful for. I know a lot of people are struggling to find family members or animals and I'm just glad it didn't get to that point," Gagnon said.
If you'd like to help, both Gagnon and Glenna have set up GoFundMe pages for their family members.
