The stories have been flooding out of Texas almost as fast as the waters rose.

And of course, we love a good rescue story. Take this one, for example:

Corporal Reed Clark, a supervisor of community public relations for the Harris County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office, had been assigned to a high-water rescue team for children with urgent medical needs.

His job was especially dangerous on many levels.

The water in the area he would be searching would not be calm and placid. It was nearing “white water” status in some places and had the potential to rise rapidly.

Not only that, but the survivors he was seeking were children in a high risk situation; some would require special patience and care.

If they couldn’t get near the home with their car, things could get bad very quickly.

Clark and his partner were being sent to pick up an asthmatic child that was nearing the point of distress. So time was of the essence and off they went.

“The water was so high that we couldn’t see the street signs,” Cpl. Clark told TODAY.

“I only knew to turn onto the street because I saw a light pole … the current was picking up very fast, like rapids almost.”

They had to abandon their car much sooner than they had anticipated. But they didn’t let that deter them from their job at hand.

They saw two jet skis on a trailer parked in what had been someone’s driveway, so they borrowed them and kept moving…heroes on the waves!

Once the asthmatic child had been taken to safety, the two men went back out to search for other children.

It was at that point that they noticed a group of a dozen or more people wading through the neck deep water. They each were carrying duffels and boxes held high above their head.

“They were screaming, ‘Baby! Baby!'” he recalled.

“I saw debris floating by, and I thought the baby was in the water … they saw me looking and pointed back to a woman holding what looked like a blanket.”

One of the women was Dajauh Zhane Henix — and she wasn’t holding belongings over her head. She was shielding her baby, Paige, from the water.

“I turned around to come back, and the water went over her head,” Cpl. Clark recalled.

“She held the baby above the water … I grabbed the baby and told her to (meet me at the designated rescue area).”

Clark left the baby with volunteers and went back into the water to save more children. He heard a couple of hours later that the baby still hadn’t been claimed.

TODAY reported that  Cpl. Clark at that time shifted his rescue efforts towards tracking down Henix to reunite her with her baby.

His idea was perfect:

He posted a photo to the precinct’s Facebook page, where it was spotted by a friend who saw that Henix had shared her own photo from a local shelter.

Then, through the magic of social media, the two were reunited.

They haven’t been able to meet yet in person but they have corresponded via social media. When the water recedes and things get back to normal, Clark hopes to meet with Henix and get to know baby Paige better.

He was impressed with the love Paige’s mother showed for her baby.

“She’s a true hero,” said Clark. “She never said, ‘help me’ — she said, ‘get my baby out of here.’“

Corporal Clark is quoted as saying:

“Even though we’re in a sad situation, it’s heartwarming to see how not only Texans and people in our community, but people from all over are helping and coming together.

This is what being an American is all about.”

We agree with him. God Bless America.

And also bless all the weary and storm-battered heroes like Corporal Clark that remind us in these troubling days of what is truly important.

Source: TODAY

The post Officer saves baby from raging flood but can’t find the mother. Then he gets a genius idea. appeared first on Addicting Stories.

The main things on the list, according to researchers, are bread, milk, eggs and toilet paper (though WalMart says for some reason the strawberry Pop Tarts quickly disappear after a disaster warning).

That theory held true for Houston’s El Bolillo Bakery last week as customers flocked to each of the bakery’s locations to stock up in case they got stranded in their homes.

Lines stretched out the door and down the street as people waited patiently for a few loaves of their favorite comfort food to tide them over ’til they could come back for their next fix when the storm was over.

The crew at El Bolillo worked around the clock all week to try to keep up with the demand.

Still, when Friday night’s quitting time rolled around, hours before Harvey showed up, the shelves were completely empty.

El Bolillo owner, Kirk Michaelis, told his employees to go home and take care of their families. They locked down the empty stores and left to go prepare for the storm.

Saturday night, thinking the worst was over, several of the bakers called and asked Michaelis if they could go in and work to be ready to reopen on Sunday.

He gave them the green light and they headed to the southeast location of El Bolillo.

They started baking and then noticed how quickly the weather was changing. It started raining incredibly hard and before they knew it they were stranded with no way out of the rising water.

No water was actually coming into the bakery yet, so instead of panicking over their situation the bakers did what they do best.

They baked.

They didn’t wring their hands and worry; they kneaded dough and baked. And baked. And baked.

For 48 hours they worked steadily as the rain kept falling and the water kept rising. The shelves filled up. The display cases filled up. And still they baked.

They used up 4,400 pounds of flour; that’s almost 92 pounds of flour every hour around the clock. No one counted exactly how many thousands of loaves of bread the man baked, but the sheer amount of bread was staggering.

Besides the regular and pan dulce breads, they had also filled numerous stands with the store’s signature bolillo bread, a torpedo-shaped loaf similar to a french baguette.

And still they baked. When Michaelis could finally make it to the store to rescue the guys 48 hours later, he was stunned when he opened up the door and saw what the men had done.

He realized that many of their neighbors and customers couldn’t make it to the bakery. So, Michaelis and the seven tired but satisfied bakers bagged up all the bread that would fit in his Jeep.

He then delivered it free of charge to first responders, police officers, nursing homes and local shelters.

Their hard work didn’t go unnoticed. Some of the recipients of the bread Tweeted and posted on Facebook about the generosity of Michaelis and the dedication of his staff.

Before long accolades were pouring in, along with donations to repay Michaelis for the supplies the men had used to bake the bread.

Michaelis thanked everyone publicly for their donations but said it won’t be going into his pocket. It will be going to the men that gave so much of themselves to help their community.

“This goes to our employees who lost cars, homes, and valuables to help rebuild their lives,” he wrote. “They have continued to work to get bread to people in need during Hurricane Harvey.”

The stores reopened on Tuesday with a full staff, minus twelve employees that were still unable to leave their homes.

The kitchen has hummed with life as the men once again are working around the clock to keep the city of Houston fed.

Locals have lined up around the corner once again to support the bakery as it continues to churn out bread for victims and first responders of Harvey.

Michaelis finds it difficult to describe the outpouring he’s received from the Houston community.

“There’s so many people doing so much more than we are,” he said. 

“It’s hard to put into words because we’re not doing it to publicize. We’re just doing it to try to be positive and help.“

Actions speak far louder than words. And the actions of seven men whose talent wasn’t one you’d usually expect to be necessary in the middle of a flood proved that when life gives you lemons, well, you make lemonade.

And when Harvey gives you water…you bake bread. Lots and lots and lots of bread.

Source: Liftable

The post Flash Flood Traps 4 Men In A Bakery – When The Doors Finally Open 2 Days Later…Wow appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Power outages and flooding have resulted in very serious situations; many have been injured and a few have even lost their lives.

However, thanks to one quick-thinking reporter, one trucker will be able to walk away unscathed…and with one heck of a story to tell.

The floodwaters in Houston had been rising all day and suddenly, the driver of the 18-wheeler found himself trapped.

He couldn’t believe it when water began to flood his cab and it was at that moment that only one thought passed through his mind:

“Lord, help just get me out safe.”

Amazingly enough, a reporter apparently heard the silent call for help.

KHOU 11 News reporter Brandi Smith and photographer Mario Sandoval were covering the flooding at Beltway 8 at the Hardy Toll Road, and they spotted the flooded truck.

More importantly, they noticed the driver, Robert, in the cab. It didn’t appear as if there was any way out, either.

Brandi urged Robert not to try to swim for it; she had a better idea:

She saw a Harris County Sheriff truck towing a boat and though it was on the way to another rescue, she jumped into the road and flagged it down.

Good thing, too, because the Sheriff truck drivers had no idea what was going on below in the floodwaters.

“Are you guys headed to the truck right here?” Smith asked the deputies.

“No,” they said.

“There’s a truck driver stuck right here in about 10 feet of water,” Smith said.

That’s when the deputies told Robert they were going to get him out, and they reminded him of just how serious the situation was; a truck driver had died in a similar situation during the Tax Day floods of 2016.

Finally, Robert was safely on dry land and he had just one message for everyone involved:

“I just thank God that you guys were right here to get me and put me back on land safely. I appreciate you.”

Though humans are no match for the sheer power of a massive hurricane, it’s our ingenuity and compassion that can keep us safe.

In the most difficult of jams, humanity shines brightest.

Source: KHOU 11 News

The post Terrified Trucker Begs For Help As Floodwaters Rise, Then 1 Reporter Springs Into Action appeared first on Addicting Stories.