Dozens of homes across Zavala County were damaged by flooding near the Nueces and Leona rivers. In Chula Vista and Batesville, residents are helping one another clean up and recover.
Rosa Romero de Alvizo has lived in the same mobile home in Chula Vista for 42 years. She raised her children and grandchildren there while working three jobs.
Romero de Alvizo was in Uvalde for knee replacement surgery when the storms began. Her surgery was postponed, and she returned home to assess the damage. She said the thought of starting over is especially difficult after years of supporting her family on her own.
“I lost my husband, and I devoted myself to taking care of six children and working three jobs, and now look at it,” she said in Spanish. “It’s completely rotten underneath. I don’t have the strength to do it all over again, and now I’m asking for help.”
Her mobile home sits about three feet above the ground, and floodwater rose roughly three feet. The water damaged the underside of the home and left parts of the flooring inside damp. A water pipe beneath the home also broke, and she is trying to find someone to repair it.
Romero de Alvizo said the only help she has received has come from local residents. Volunteers have gone from house to house clearing mud and removing flood-damaged appliances.
“It was a really hard experience, especially because I’m alone and older,” she said in Spanish. “Now I’m waiting for them to call me for my surgery, but I will be the one to cancel it because who is going to help here? I have to keep working hard to carry on.”
In Batesville, residents have organized barbecues to provide meals for affected families.
Teacher Myra Gonzales is part of a group of educators running a drive-thru recovery center where families can pick up food, clothing and other supplies.
“We have about 70 families that were impacted, where the waters went inside and destroyed their homes and belongings,” Gonzales said.
Convoy of Hope and the American Red Cross delivered comfort kits, bleach, cleanup supplies and food. Convoy of Hope brought enough supplies to help 200 families.
“They brought enough to take care of 200 families, and that was a blessing that we did not expect today,” Gonzales said. “I had to take some time out and remove myself from everybody and just let it out because it was a true blessing to see so much sympathy from people around us.”
Gonzales was unable to leave her own home Friday morning because of the flooding. As soon as she could get out of her driveway, she began volunteering. She said the teachers have been working from 8 a.m. until late at night.
“Even though I still have yet to check what damages I have, I’m just more worried about making sure everybody else is taken care of,” Gonzales said. “I’ve always been a giver. There was a point in my lifetime that I needed people, and the ladies outside were the ones that came and saved me. I’m going to help the ones who were less fortunate, and that’s why I’m here.”
