POINTERS AND TIPS ON WHERE TO
GO.
>> Reporter: LAUREN AND ANDY?
>> GREAT JOB OUT THERE.
YOU HEARD LESTER HOLT TALKING
ABOUT THE BRIGADES OF GUYS ON
THE BOATS GOING TO RESCUE PEOPLE
AND THAT IS IN THE PONDEROSA
AREA.
>> JOEL EISENBAUM HAS BEEN THERE
AND THEY ARE PLUCKING FAMILIES
FROM THEIR HOMES BASICALLY
THERE.
>> Reporter: IT IS AN
INCREDIBLE SCENE OUT THERE.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS MUCH
WATER ON HOUSES.
WE ARE OFF CYPRESS CREAK.
ALL OF THIS IS NOW CYPRESS.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WATER THAT
IS MOST CERTAINLYINIDAT
INDADED THESE
HOMES.
THERE IS NO WAY IF YOU ARE BACK
HERE, YOU SHOULD BE IN YOUR
HOUSE.
THESE FOLKS HAVE PLUCKED OUT
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
THIS IS CAPTAIN DICKERSON WHO
WORKS WITH PONDEROSA FIRE.
YOU HAVE BEEN AT THIS CONSTANTLY
FOR TWO DAYS.
>> CONSTANTLY.
>> Reporter: ARE PEOPLE CALLING
IN?
DO YOU JUST MAKE PATROLS?
>> DISPATCHED IS OVERWHELMED
WITH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND
SEVERAL OTHER IN THE AREA.
WE MAKE PATROLS.
WE GET CALL SHEETS.
WE HAND THEM OUT TO FOLKS AND
THEY GO OUT AND START PICKING
THEM UP.
>> Reporter: SAME TOKEN, YOU
RAN INTO PEOPLE HOLING UP IN
THEIR HOUSES?
ARE THEY IN HOUSES THAT LOOK
LIKE THIS AND STAYING ON THE
SECOND FLOOR?
>> WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE ON THE
SECOND FLOOR, IN THE ATTIC, IN
THE ROOF, PEOPLE IN TREES.
THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.
>> Reporter: IT IS
UNBELIEVABLE.
YOU HAVE DONE HUNDREDS OF SAFE
RESCUES AT THIS POIN
THIS IS THE ROARING TORRENT THAT
IS CYPRESS CREAK.
WE ARE SEVERAL BLOCKS AWAY FROM
WHAT IS USUALLY THE CREAK BED.
IF YOU WERE TO CONTINUE GOING
THIS WAY YOU WOULD GET TO 1960.
IT IS WATER AS FAR AS YOU CAN
SEE.
WE ARE THREE MILES WEST OF I-45?
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE BOATS
RUNNING IN AND OUT TRYING TO
PICK UP PEOPLE.
JOHN, SHOW THEM THIS.
THAT IS A FIVE TON ARMY
TRANSPORTER COMPLETELY ABANDONED
AND UNDERWATER.
HOW ARE YOU DOING, SIR?
THAT IS AN ARMY TRANSPORTER.
ONE OF THE TOUGHEST TRUCKS YOU
WOULD EVER COME ACROSS
COMPLETELY UNDERWATER.
THESE BELONG TO PRECINCT 4.
YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE TRUCKS
AND YOU KNOW HOW BIG AND TALL
THEY ARE.
THEY HAD TO ABANDONED THEM.
THEY MAY HAVE BEEN WATERLOGGED
AT SOME POINT.
IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE IN THE NORTH AND
NORTHWEST SIDES OF HARRIS
COUNTY.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN IT LOOK LIKE
THIS.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF HOMES
FLOODED.
>> HUNDREDS.
>> IT IS STILL COMING UP, DO YOU
THINK?
>> WE HAD IT RECEDE A LITTLE
WHEN WE GOT A BREAK BUT IT
CONTINUALLY RISES.
SOMETIME FASTER THAN NORMAL.
>> PONDEROSA IS AN AREA THAT
FLOODED TAX DAY AND MEMORIAL DAY
BUT NOTHING LIKE THIS.
>> NO.
>> YOU CAN'T REALLY GET THE
SENSE BUT WE ARE A BATTLIN
CURREN
CURRENT.
THIS IS WATER THAT IS PUSHING
FROM WEST TO EAST.
YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THESE CARS
AND HOUSES THAT ARE JUST
COMPLETELY UNDERWATER.
WHAT IS AMAZING TO ME, AND THERE
ARE A LOT OF THINGS YOU HAVE TO
NOTE WHEN YOU ARE ON THESE
TRIPS, BUT CAN YOU SEE THE PORCH
LIGHTS ARE ON OVER HERE?
NOT EVEN SURE YOU THAT IS
POSSIBLE.
>> YOU HAD A STRUCTURE FIRE
HERE?
>> SHA -- SOMEWHERE IN THIS
AREA.
>> LOOK AT THE STREET SIGN.
THAT IS THE TOP OF CANYON CREAK
ROAD RIGHT THERE.
WATCH THESE POWERLINE
POWER LINES AS WE GO
UNDER THEM BECAUSE I IMAGINE
MOST ARE LIVE.
YOU COULD DO A MILE OR TWO OF
BOAT TRAVELLING IN THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT?
>> SEVERAL MIMES DEPENDING ON
THE WAY YOU TAKE -- MILES.
>> Reporter: IS PONDEROSA FIRE
GOING TO STAY OUT HERE?
YOU PICKED UP EVERYONE YOU KNOW
OF THAT WANTED RIDE, CORRECT?
>> JUST IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAVE SEVERAL OTHER CREWS
WORKING THIS AREA AS WELL AS
SPRING, CLINE, LITTLE YORK.
>> HOW MANY BOATS DID YOU HAVE
IN THE WATER TODAY?
>> PONDEROSA HAD TWO OF THEIR
BOATS BUT WE HAD AMAZI
VOLUNTEERS SHO UP WITH THEIR
BOAT
>> WHEN YOU ARE PLUCKING THE
FOLKS OUT OF THEIR HOME ARE THEY
THANKFU
THANKFUL?
NOT WANTING TO LEAVE?
>> THEY ARE DEFINITELY THANKFUL.
I THINK THEY ARE MORE SHOCKED
THAN ANYTHING.
THEY ARE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE
DEVASTATION.
BUT DEFINITELY THANKFUL.
>> THESE GUYS ARE LITERALLY
LIFESAVERS.
SO MANY EMERGENCY SERVICES AND
PERSONNEL -- WE ARE GOING OVER A
STREET SIGN, OVER A STOP SIGN,
RIGHT NOW.
I AM TRYING TO GET MY BEARINGS
AND IT IS HARD WHEN YOU ARE
GOING IN CIRCLES IN A BOAT.
WE ARE GOING TO CIRCLE BACK AND
HEAD BACK IN?
>> WE ARE HEADING BACK OUT TO GO
TO THOSE HOUSES IN THERE.
>> WHERE IS CYPRESS CREAK FROM
WHERE WE ARE?
>> IT IS ABILITY FOUR OR FIVE
BLOCKS FROM HERE.
>> AND WE ARE SANDWICHED AND THE
BIG REFERENCE POINTS ARE IF YOU
ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT PONDE
PONDEROSA FORREST THE SOUTHERN
IS 1960 AND WHY CLOSER TO THE 45
SIDE.
THERE IS NOT A HOUSE IN THIS
PART OF THE SUBDIVISION THAT IS
NOT COMPLETELY IDEA WATE
>> THERE ARE SOME THAT REFUSE TO
COME.
THEY WILL STAY.
>> HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?
DO YOU MAKE NOTE OF WHO IS
REFUSING TO SOME?
SOME REFUSED YESTERDAY AND
WANTED A RIDE TODAY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE DO MAKE NOTES OF EVERYBODY WE
MAKE CONTACT WITH TO TRY TO KEEP
TRACK OF WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AND
WHO IS COMING AND WHO ISN'T.
>> THAT HOUSE IS STILL
SMOLDERING.
>> WHEN YOU HAVE RUNNING WATER
COMING INTO THE CONTACT WITH
ELECTRICITY AND WHATEVER ELSE.
>> DID THAT GO YESTERDAY?
>> I BELIEVE OVERNIGHT.
COULD BE EARLY THIS MORNING.
>> AS TERRIBLE AS IT IS, WHAT
ARE YOU SAVING WHEN YOU ARE
GOING TO BATTLE A FIRE THAT IS
IN 6-8 FEET OF WATER IN IT?
>> CAN YOU GET A SENSE OF HOW
MUCH WATER IS FLOWING INTO
NEIGHBORHOOD?
THIS IS NOT STAGNANT WATER.
CAN YOU IMAGINE GETTING CAUGHT
IN THIS WATER?
WATCH THAT STOP SIGN THERE.
IT IS JUST BLOCK AFTER BLOCK OF
HOMES UNDERWATER.
I HOPE THERE IS NO STUCK BACK IN
THOSE.
WE ARE GOING TO NAVIGATE OUR WAY
BACK.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU
GUYS ARE DOING.
IT IS REALLY INCREDIBLE.
IF WE COULD GET A BREAK FROM THE
RAIN IT WOULD BE NICE.
HAS IT BEEN RAINING AS LONG AS
WE HAVE BEEN HERE IT HAS BEEN
RAINING SINCE THIS MORNING?
>> WE GET THEM FOR A FEW MINUTES
HERE AND THERE.
SOMETIMES IT RAINS LIGHTER.
SOMETIMES IT RAINS HARDER.
JUST DOESN'T STOP THOUGH.
>> IT HASN'T STOPPED FOR DAYS.