By Sahar Chmais
BUDA – During a blackout, Creekside Villas Senior Village in Buda evacuated all of its residents on Wednesday, Feb. 17, after water pipes burst, flooding parts of the first floor.
This was one of the many damages caused by the Texas winter storm.
Several public service departments were instrumental in aiding the older adults out of their cold and wet homes and into a safe, warm space. Hays CISD busses answered the call to transport residents, but it took several tries to get them to the right place.
The Buda Police Department, Buda Fire Department and Hays County Emergency Services team ushered more than 100 adults out of Creekside Villas to temporary warming stations. Buda Mayor Lee Urbanovsky also coordinated with multiple facilities the safe transfer of the residents.
Creekside resident checking into Hays Hills Baptist Church. Photo by David Sweet, associate pastor at the church.
United Methodist Church in Kyle and Hays Hills Baptist Church in Buda offered to temporarily take in the residents, as they were not properly equipped with sleeping gear. They gave the residents a place to warm up as their situation was being reconfigured.
$2>Half of the residents were taken to the Microtel Inn in Buda, but the water stopped in the city, according to Mike Jones, emergency service director for Hays County Emergency Services.
Eventually, many of the residents were taken home by their family members. Those who stayed were then taken to Legend Oaks and a few different hotels, arranged by the county staff.
Plumbers and contractors were instantly asked to come to Creekside Villas to repair the damage as quickly as possible, Jones said.
This situation was not on the radar, Jones added, but everyone sprang to action to get everything back to normal.
Residents of Creekside Villas are expected to return to their homes this week, Urbanovsky said during an emergency city council meeting on Sunday, Feb. 21.
