FOX 4 crew joins boaters rescuing people in Houston

SPRING, Texas - North of Houston in the city of Spring, Texas people are signaling for help from searchers with white shirts and bed sheets.

FOX 4’s Shannon Murray went out on a boat with rescuers Tuesday. The situation was still pretty desperate in some areas.

Shannon explained she and her photographer left Dallas Sunday to head south. Initially, they were closer to the coast covering the destruction in Refugio and the Corpus Christi area.

Eventually, they ended up in the Highland Glen neighborhood, which is right off the Hardy Toll Road in Spring. It was completely overtaken by water.

That’s where they met a group of volunteers from Whitney, Texas. They were going in by boat to rescue people stranded everywhere.

Once the volunteers made sure everyone in the neighborhood had made it out safely, they let Shannon and her photographer take a look.

“There is so much that needs to be done and needs to be helped. That it’s… it’s a little bit of a mess. We know of areas where people have needed help and law enforcement wouldn’t let us get down roads to get boats in the water,” said Jason Hunt, a volunteer. “They got to keep people safe and I understand that.”

Hunt said he decided to help after watching the news and seeing how inundated everybody was. There wasn’t enough help.

He pointed out a car that was completely submerged in the water and said boaters have to be very careful about what’s under the water. He also explained all the white t-shirts and sheets hanging in the windows of homes.

“That’s an indication someone was in that house with that white flag hanging in that window right there. That’s something that we would watch for is that right there. That white t-shirt would indicate, ‘Hey, we’re in here,” he said.

Hunt’s advice for those planning to go to the area to help was to have a point of contact in the area, maybe with someone who is already volunteering or a command center. Call to find out exactly where you are needed. You’ll also need advice on how to get in because roads are closed in many areas.

Other rescuers said one of the biggest problems they’re having is people calling to say they need a rescue at a specific address but the street signs are all underwater. It’s hard for rescuers from out of town to find people and almost easier for them to go door to door to see who needs help.

Also, a lot of people on social media are reposting addresses where people have already been rescued. The volunteers encourage people on social media to make sure the information is current before sharing or passing it along to rescuers.

The Highland Glen neighborhood is just one small subdivision. It’s a small picture of what people are seeing all across the Houston metroplex, Shannon said.