Members of the Texas National Guard (TNG) responded quickly to rising flood waters in North Texas after a weekend of predicted severe weather. The Guardsmen used a Blackhawk medical helicopter to lift a pregnant woman and a baby to safety. They then quickly moved to the nearby home of the woman’s grandmother and rescued her on Mother’s Day.
The flood waters from Hickory Creek rose very quickly, according to a report by WFAA in Dallas. The flooding took place in Denton County near the town of Krum, Texas. Krum is located northwest of the city of Denton and almost due north of Fort Worth.
Flooding is not new to the residents who live along Hickory Creek. “It has flooded here before but not like this,” said Brittany Blanchard, the pregnant woman who was rescued along with her friend’s baby. “It was scary. The baby actually slept through it.”
Another rescue victim, Samantha Oliver called 9-1-1 after she noticed the water’s rapid rate of flooding. “It was up two feet in about 10 minutes,” Oliver said. “They asked could I signal the chopper. I got a pink pillow case and waved it.” She was then rescued by the TNG chopper.
The quick response from TNG rescue forces was due, in part, to the preemptive action taken by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday. The Governor placed the State’s emergency service organizations and the State Operations Center on active status because of National Weather Service predictions of a “significant weather event.”
“Ensuring the safety of Texans is paramount, and the state stands ready to provide support to our local leaders as this weather system moves through our state,” Abbott said on Friday in a statement obtained by Breitbart Texas.
In all, seven people were rescued from the floodwaters near Krum.
Bob Price is a senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and on Facebook.