On April 30th 2016 at approximately 1215 Hrs, The Palastine PD,  in response to severe weather, began receiving reports that residents in the area of the 100 block of Timber Drive were receiving heavy floodwaters with some indications that the water had reached the level of the roofline. Members of the Palastine Fire Department and Palestine Public Works employees responded to the area using fire trucks and dump trucks to an evacuation effort of residents affected by the floodwaters.

Officers received additional calls, at at approximately 0345 Hrs. related to a missing family from the neighborhood and responded to the area. Upon arrival, a search was conducted, going house to house, in waste deep floodwater, first responders and residents attemped to locate an adult woman, and four grandchildren.

During the search, officers were notified by a resident that he had discovered what appeared to be the bodies of two children in the front yard of a residence near the street. A continued search revealed the bodies of an adult female and two additional children who appeared to have been swept away into an area behind the houses by fast moving floodwaters.

The victims include a 64 year old female, and four grandchildren, ages 9,8, 7, and 6.

Names of the deceased are not being released at this time, pending notification of next of kin.

Additionally, approximately 6-8 other families were displaced by floodwaters on Timber Dr. alone.

Red Cross has been notified and is responding to the location.

Alert sent on 04/30/2016 at 7:29AM EDT

100 Timber Drive, Palestine, TX 75801

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