KIRBYVILLE, Texas – A man rescued a group of horses trapped in neck-deep water from a barn that had flooded during a heavy downpour in southern Texas.
Following nearly 13 inches of rainfall in the area on Tuesday night, rescuers had to act quickly to aid the trapped animals at the Kirbyville Auction Barn, a family farm that has stood for over 70 years.
FLOODING SWAMPS SOUTH WITH RARE FLASH FLOODING EMERGENCIES IN TEXAS, NEW ORLEANS
Early Wednesday morning, a Flash Flood Emergency was issued for areas of Jasper County in southeastern Texas, such as Kirbyville, lasting several hours. An emergency like this is the most severe flood alert the National Weather Service can issue. It means life-threatening flooding and catastrophic damage are already occurring or expected to occur soon.
Dramatic videos posted to Instagram show Jeff Muckleroy leading the horses out of the flooded barn.
Muckleroy’s daughter, Hannah Muckleroy Clark, said that her dad, “being the hero that he is,” guided the animals out by boat and wouldn’t leave until all the horses were accounted for.
According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, several individuals were rescued from flooded homes and vehicles. Additionally, Jasper County Judge Mark Allen issued a declaration of disaster due to the hazardous weather conditions affecting the entire county.
“There’s no doubt that we’ll be back up and running in no time,” Muckleroy’s daughter said. “Nothing that a little prayer, faith, and resiliency can’t fix!”
The NWS has issued a Flood Warning for the area until Thursday.