CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A family of 28 from Kingsville is stranded in the Mountain Valley area of Concan, Texas, after flooding blocked both crossings leading out of their location.
Linda Soliz said the family has been conducting an annual trip to the Hill Country since the 1950s, a tradition started by her husband's grandmother. The group arrived Monday and was scheduled to leave Thursday, but rising floodwaters made that impossible.
"We are essentially stranded. We are blocked in and surrounded by water," Soliz said.
The family is trapped between the Seven Bluffs crossing and Arthur's Crossing. Authorities have told them they may not be able to leave until Sunday, pending water levels receding and the Texas Department of Transportation inspecting roads and bridges for debris and damage.
The group of 28 includes children, with the youngest being 1 year old. Soliz said a nearby family has a 3-week-old baby, and roughly 200 people are stranded in the surrounding area.
Food supplies are running critically low. The family has a bag of rice, a few cans of beans, granola bars, chips, and limited drinking water. A military Chinook helicopter delivered MREs and cases of water, but Soliz said the family waited approximately 5 hours in line to receive rations.
"We don't have hot meals. We're using the MREs," Soliz said.
The family is also in need of milk and diapers for the younger children, as well as drinking water, since the property draws from a well.
Soliz said a contact named Brett at Garner State Park has been keeping stranded families informed about incoming supply deliveries, including a possible hot food distribution later in the day. She said distributions are on a first-come, first-served basis.
The family has electricity and running water at the house where they are staying, which also has a pool. Soliz said they have been keeping the children occupied with nature walks, pool time, card games, and other activities.
"Just trying to take in as much of the natural elements as possible just to be able to make the best out of this situation and teaching the kids resilience and how to make the best out of every bad situation that you're put in," Soliz said.
The family experienced a tornado warning two nights ago that lasted from 1:45 a.m. to approximately 4:30 a.m.
"That was probably the most stressful night because there's not really much we can do except wait and hope that nothing happens," Soliz said.
Soliz said her husband's family has experienced flooding in this area before. The worst previous incident was in 2002, when family members were evacuated from Garner State Park and lost all of their belongings.
Despite the current situation, Soliz said the family feels fortunate compared to others in the area.
"There are people who are losing everything. They're losing their homes. They're having to be rescued via helicopters right now. Some people have lost vehicles," Soliz said. "We still have each other and so that's the most important thing."
No vehicles belonging to the family were damaged. Most have sufficient fuel for the drive out, though one or two vehicles may have less than half a tank.
Most of the family is from Kingsville, with two members from Corpus Christi.
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