(November 23, 2009)

WOODSBORO--Some Refugio County residents of one subdivision near Woodsboro are literally being held captive by river flooding. Homeowners are forced to get around by boat.

The neighborhood looks like a big lake after rainwater came down from the north. The Mission River has gone over the banks.

Just south of Woodsboro, John Glowka is getting around the Mission River Oaks subdivision in this boat. His neighborhood is under water after river went over the banks two days ago.

"I feel for these poor people who can't get out," said Glowka. "I can get out from where I am at. I can walk to high ground up to where the car is parked or I can use my boat."

Glowka knew the rain water north of the Coastal Bend would come this way via the Mission River.

"She goes down and buys some extra groceries," Glowka said. "Our electricity is on. Our telephone is working. The water well is working. It ain't no problem."

"I saw a few people wading to their homes." said Raul "Pinky" Gonzales, a State Game Warden , who saw residents in this neighborhood this morning.

Gonzales reports about 200 residents are impacted, but there is no flooding in homes because the home are built so high. Wardens are helping people out if they need it.

"This morning we had come over here and get some people out of their housing that had doctors appointments and stuff and they didn't have any menas of transportation to get out," said Gonzales. 

The next concern for these residents are snakes and alligators.

"Not just flood waters, but they also have problems with snakes and alligators out here," Gonzales said. "There's lot of snakes and alligators that come to high ground."

This neighborhood will be flooded for at least a week before the water recedes.

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com