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Several rescued after rain causes overnight flooding in Austin area

Multiple people had to be rescued overnight in the Austin area due to flooding.

AUSTIN — Storms caused major flooding and rescues overnight Saturday in the Austin area.

Williamson County firefighters joined six other departments to rescue 61 people from a wedding venue. Some were trapped in trees at Casa Rio de Colores, while others were able to get to higher ground and evacuated later, according to the Austin Fire Department.

Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody tweeted an additional water rescue attempt was made. They got reports that she was swimming away from a vehicle.

Shady River RV Resort off Highway 29 east of Interstate 35 was evacuated.

Teams used multiple rescue devices including a hovercraft in overnight rescues.

In Georgetown, water damage is still visible just blocks away from Amy Phillips' home. Georgetown's San Gabriel River flooded Blue Hole, a nearby park.

"It was just thundering and lightning all night long," said Phillips. "Waking up this morning I didn't know what to expect."

The Austin Fire Department helped with several of last night's water rescues.

"Water operations at night is the most dangerous thing as a firefighter," said Austin Fire Department Lt. Heath Haddock.

Haddock added that the floods put him and his crews at risk.

"When you're at it at night, there's light and communication issue, once you're outside of those banks, you have no idea what that boat is operating over," Haddock said.

Phillips said she was astounded by the flooding. "The sheer power of it all is amazing."

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