'It's devastating': 200 out of 1,400 River Plantation homes were flooded, officials say

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- About 1,400 homes are in the community of River Plantation, which is east of I-45 in Montgomery County.

Most homes are OK, but the damage is devastating for those who flooded. And that includes a first responder who now needs help himself.

Andrew Logan Reid is a firefighter who spent the early hours of the storm rescuing others.

"It was just back to back to backwater rescues," he told ABC13. "Just people getting stuck in high water."

Then he came home and tried to salvage what he could. A lot of what he owns is now in a pile on the edge of the road.

"It got roughly 4.5 feet in," Reid said. "On top of that, a tree in loose soil fell on top of the house. So it's just a lot of devastation."

Reid has owned the home for a year, buying it from his mom. He's married and has two daughters and a baby on the way.

He doesn't have flood insurance.

"There's a reason for it (the flooding damage)," he said. "It'll make me stronger in the end. All I can do is rebuild the house and get my family back here as soon as possible."

Reid is one of 200 homeowners in River Plantation facing cleanup and reconstruction.

Montgomery County Precinct 2 is clearing trees to make way for debris pickup. Commissioner Charlie Riley's office was there before, during, and after the storm.

"We all live here. We all live in Montgomery County," Pct. 2 chief of staff Bruce Berger said. "We treat everybody like family, but it hurts like family too."

Families like Reid's, who are just beginning the process, include Angel Pesak, who bought her home in 2021.

"It's heartbreaking to know that everything you've worked hard for is just gone," she told ABC13.

Pesak never thought her home would flood. It took on three and a half feet of water. The high water line is tattooed all over her house.

"We're gutting our whole downstairs and having to rebuild," she said as she walked through the gutted house.

She and her children evacuated as the water rose-flooding her car as they did. She had flood insurance, but her belongings weren't covered.

"We're just taking it day by day and trying to figure things out," Pesak said. "Even if it takes us a long period of time to rebuild, we're going to make it through this."

The community has set up a relief center to help its residents, like Pesak and Reid, with supplies, food, and other resources.

"Our community is very close-knit," Jamie Goodman, who is in charge of the effort, said. "We have some wonderful people in here and we band together to help our neighbors."

Reid's family is accepting donations to help him rebuild his home.

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