Kerrville resident Timothy Gloria, a survivor from the devastating flash floods in the central part of the southern U.S. state of Texas, recalled how his neighbors were swept away by the fast-rising Guadalupe River last Friday.
Gloria's neighborhood, once "up and running" where friends and family gathered around, was severely impacted by the flood, which has so far claimed over 172 lives in Texas Hill Country, with 87 occurring in Kerr County as of Tuesday.
The house where Gloria's neighbors -- Leonardo Romero, Natalia Venzor and their 2-year-old baby Carlos -- lived was swept away in the early hours of last Friday by the flash floods of the Guadalupe River, and they have not yet been found.
Dozens shared the same fate.
Speaking to China Global Television Network (CGTN), Gloria carries the weight of a community that no longer exists in his voice.
"I was at work at 06:00. I came back to the flood. I had some neighbors up this way. They were banging on the back door to get my dad out since he stayed with me in my daughter's old room. That's how they broke that back gate back there to get him out. So they rescued him. I got home about 07:30, and it was already up the street this way. This car was already gone," said Gloria.
He called police to rescue the neighbors trapped on the other side of the street.
"And so I called the cops. I said, at the corner of Box Elder and waterfront, you'll see the couple, the weldings are there. And so they came because of my call, and they got them out with ropes and a hole," he said.
And he said he did not get any alerts on his phone.
"started working right away. As soon as the water receded, I got started working on my gate. It doesn't look like anything happened here. It was flooded with mud. I still have a bunch of mud in the foundation, which I keep telling these little rescue crews," said Gloria.
Leonardo Romero's body has been recovered. His son Leonardo Jr made it out, after he swam and was ultimately rescued.
"My boss today told me that it's confirmed that, they confirmed his body he's dead. I just heard that this morning, but I still haven't heard that from his brother," GLoria said.
"So my neighbor and he's connected with one of Leo's families, and they're over here trying to find the baby, so they're kind of quietly going down there because the cops already told him, 'stop chain sawing and everything'. And they just keep hunting," he continued
Gloria is a jack of all trades -- mechanic, handyman. He was hesitant to talk, and has been staying busy while processing so much loss.
"I had depression for a while. There's just a dark spot here. It was ugly that was going in and out, but I just kept working. I just kept moving," he said.
Gloria wants his neighborhood back -- a wish devoured by the force of the Guadalupe River.
Survivors recall rescue efforts after flash floods devastate community in Texas
Survivors recall rescue efforts after flash floods devastate community in Texas
