NEARBY JASPER COUNTY. DON'T GO FAR.
WE WANT TO COME BACK TO YOU IN A BIT.
>>> AS FLOOD WATERS START TO RECEDE IN NEARBY HOUSTON, SOME
RESIDENTS THERE ARE RETURNING HOME TO TRY AND ASSESS DAMAGE.
NBC'S KATIE BECK IN HOUSTON. KATIE, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?
>> Reporter: WELL, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I'M IN NOW WAS
FIVE OR SIX FEET UNDERWATER. HOMEOWNERS ARE RETURNING NOW.
MANY OF THEM ARE SURPRISED TO FIND THEIR ENTIRE HOME ON THEIR
FRONT LAWN. THEY'RE WORKING WITH CLEAN UP
CREWS, WORKING TO GET THINGS BACK TO NORMAL, BUT IT IS A LONG
PROCESS, A DEVASTATING REALITY TO LOOK AT ALL OF THIS.
JOINING ME, MICHAEL WADLER, THIS IS YOUR HOME HERE.
MICHAEL, WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS?
>> IT'S JUST OVERWHELMING, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE.
EVERYTHING IS OUT HERE. >> YOU HAVE FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS,
TELL US ABOUT THE NOTE. >> I FOUND THIS NOTE.
AND IT WAS WRITTEN BY MY MOTHER, SHE PASSED AWAY LAST MONTH, IT
IS KIND OF HARD. >> I'M SO SORRY.
THERE'S A LOT OF SENTIMENTAL THINGS YOU LOST.
JUST TO SEE ALL OF THIS MUST BE SO DAUNTING.
>> IT'S OVERWHELMING, JUST OVERWHELMING.
>> LET'S TAKE A LOOK. I WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE A LOOK
INSIDE MICHAEL'S HOME. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE OUTSIDE
WHERE ALL OF HIS MATTRESSES, BELONGINGS, PRETTY MUCH
EVERYTHING FROM THE INSIDE IS HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO PUT ON THESE MASKS BECAUSE THE MOLD AND SMELL
IS PRETTY BAD. AS YOU CAN SEE, TOO, THIS IS THE
WATER LINE, IT WAS ABOUT UP TO HERE?
>> YEAH. WE HAD ABOUT ALMOST FOUR FEET OF
WATER. >> LET'S TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THIS
HOME. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR LIVING
ROOM AND DINING ROOM. >> YEAH, WE ALREADY RIPPED OUT
SHEET ROCK, YOU HAVE TO RIP IT OUT TO TRY TO DRY.
>> YOU CAN SMELL THAT MOLD AND WATER HERE.
NOT MUCH LEFT IN HERE, MICHAEL. >> NO.
IT'S GONE. I MEAN, WE FLOODED BEFORE, BUT
WE MEASURED IT BY INCHES, NOT BY FEET.
>> RIGHT. THIS WOULD BE THE KITCHEN.
>> THIS WAS THE KITCHEN. >> THIS WAS THE KITCHEN.
YOU SHOWED ME BEFORE JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA THE FACT THAT
THERE'S STILL WATER HANGING AROUND.
>> WATER, GOT ABOVE THE COUNTERTOPS.
SO EVERYTHING IS FILLED WITH WATER.
DESTROYED EVERYTHING. >> MOVING THROUGH, LET'S LOOK
BACK HERE. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR LIVING
ROOM. >> MY LIVING ROOM.
THE WATER GOT TO THE LEVEL OF THE TELEVISION THAT WAS ON THE
WALL. >> LET'S GO TO THAT CLOSET WHERE
YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THE KEEP SAKES.
TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SHOW US.
>> YEAH. I HAD, YOU KNOW, IN ANTICIPATION
THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM, YOU TRY TO PUT SOME OF THE THINGS
UP, AND I MADE SURE AND PUT OUR WEDDING ALBUM ON THE TOP SHELF.
>> THERE IT IS.
>> AND IT GOT SAVED. >> THAT'S THE ONLY MEMORY YOU
HAVE OF YOUR WEDDING THAT'S IN A PHOTOGRAPH RIGHT NOW.
>> YEAH. JUST SOMETHING I WANTED TO SAVE.
LOOKING AT SOME NEWS REPORTS DURING THE FLOOD, WE SAW WATER
UP TO THE ROOFTOPS, SO I WASN'T SURE THAT GOT SAVED.
>> WHEN YOU CAME IN AND SAW THAT, HOW DID YOU FEEL?
>> IT IS A RELIEF. SOME OF THE SMALL BLESSINGS THAT
YOU HAVE IS COMING THROUGH. YOU SEE THAT A COUPLE OF THINGS
ARE SAVED. >> FEW MINUTES AGO YOU DESCRIBED
THIS AS APOCALYPTIC AND SAID TO ME IF I STOPPED MOVING, IF I
STOPPED CLEANING, I'M JUST GOING TO START CRYING.
>> YEAH. I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WE DO WHEN WE SURVIVE A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION, WE
SAY A SPECIAL PRAYER. THIS MORNING WAS THE FIRST TIME
I COULD DO THAT. I ALMOST FELT A LITTLE UNSURE IF
I SHOULD SAY IT BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE WE HAD SURVIVED IT YET.
STILL GOT A WAYS TO GO. >> WELL, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY YOUR
HOME THAT WE'RE STANDING IN, BUT IT DOESN'T RESEMBLE IT MUCH.
>> NO, IT HAS BEEN DESTROYED. >> WE WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
THE BEST IN THE RECOVERY. IT IS GOING TO BE A LONG
PROCESS. THANK YOU FOR SHARING WITH US.
GLAD SOME KEEP SANGS WERE SAVED. THAT'S AN IDEAS LOOK AT WHAT A
LOT OF HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW.
LOTS OF ACTIVITY AS PEOPLE TRY