Lifted truck drivers rescue flood victims in Houston, Pearland

HOUSTON - On the border of Houston and Pearland, volunteers spent Tuesday helping some residents evacuate after streets became undrivable in the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Beta.

Dozens of lifted trucks swarmed a residential neighborhood at Monroe Road and Lettie Street where residents were seen wading out on foot for fear of flooding their cars. Truck drivers were seen offering residents rides out of the floodwaters. 

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Rapper and philanthropist Trae Tha Truth was driving one of those lifted trucks, along with other members of his nonprofit Relief Gang.

“This is definitely bad,” said Trae, adding that his Relief Gang volunteers were devoting the entire day to making rescues throughout the Houston metro. Trae Tha Truth said those in need have been messaging @reliefgang on Instagram, and the group has been dispatching lifted truck drivers based on those requests.

“The good thing is a lot of people been calling to help too—a lot of people with big trucks—so now whatever area people are needing help, we dispatch our whole team out,” said Trae.
Earlier in the day, police in north Houston shut down freeways in anticipation of bayou flooding.

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In Friendswood, Mary’s Creek swelled beyond its banks, and Clear Creek flooding forced some road closures.

In Pearland, drivers abandoned their flooded cars on Pearland Pkwy at Sam Houston Tollway.

“That’s crazy, ‘cause who’s going to drive through that?” asked Rocky Woodfork, a nurse who decided to turn around after encountering flooding on the way to work at Memorial Hermann. “I had a car flooded before some years ago, and I learned from that, ‘cause you never know how deep it is.”

Woodfork says the flooding from Beta forced her to call into work and take the day off.

“Hopefully I can go to work tomorrow,” said Woodfork. “I hope it ain’t like this. I don’t know.”