ALICE, Texas — Heavy rainfall hit the Coastal Bend Thursday night, and residents across Jim Wells County are preparing for more rain over the weekend. Safety is the main concern as emergency management has already staged state resources across the area.
KRIS 6 was with Jim Wells County Emergency Management Coordinator Lance Brown in Orange Grove, where preparations are already in place to support the community.
"So right now, we have some state resources that came in yesterday from TDEM. We have water rescues here. We have Type 3 vehicles. We have the Army that are here, and they're just here staged in Jim Wells County to help support Jim Wells County if we need it," Brown said.
Brown also highlighted a critical flood safety rule for anyone who encounters flood conditions.
"So it only takes 6 inches of water for you to get knocked off of your feet and about, you know, 18 inches of water or so for your vehicle to get swept away. So the rule of thumb, everybody's heard about it, turn around, don't drown," Brown said.
KRIS 6 went to neighborhoods in Alice to gauge conditions firsthand and spoke with residents who experienced the heavy rainfall, including a stop at a creek with rushing water that is usually dry.
Alice resident Marko La Fuente said the rain offered a welcome change from the heat.
"Dude, really nice. Like right now you just caught me walking. I was just trying to walk just like see where like the weather would take me and it's actually really nice compared to like all the heat because I come from like a work construction heat kind of site where I'm at. And it's just a lot better when you just, you know, when you get it, you can," La Fuente said.
Emergency management and local police departments are ready to assist residents who need help through the weather conditions. Residents are urged to stay weather aware and remember: turn around, don't drown.
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