After torrential rains damaged and flooded around 40 Hutto homes during Memorial Day weekend, Hutto community members banded together to help their neighbors. Williamson County declared a state of disaster because of severe thunderstorms and flooding that began May 8 and extended through Memorial Day weekend, causing $7 million in damage to county infrastructure and facilities, according to county officials. During heavy rains and flooding May 25, a shelter was opened at Hutto Middle School and homes along the Brushy Creek floodplain east of FM 685 were evacuated, according to Williamson County officials. Betty Rodriguez, a resident of the Creekside subdivision in Hutto, said about eight homes in her neighborhood were damaged during Memorial Day weekend and that her community has been hosting nightly potlucks since that time for flood victims. “We all gather around and take time to have a meal and say a prayer,” she said. “Pretty much everyone [with flood damage] was denied flood insurance because they were not technically in a flood zone, so all of the repairs will have to be done out of pocket for them. They’re just kind of sitting there with walls ripped out and things sitting on their beds—one of the families is sleeping on their couch.” Some Hutto residents affected by flooding are facing around $12,000 in out-of-pocket expenses for repairs, so Hutto officials, businesses and faith leaders are helping, said Rev. Alan McGrath of Hutto Discovery United Methodist Church. McGrath is board president of Hutto Has Heart, a coalition of community leaders that is partnering with the city of Hutto to raise funds and provide support for flood victims. Hutto Has Heart is currently working with 11 families affected by storm damage and expects that number to grow, McGrath said. “These are young families just trying to get their lives started and they’re not in the place where they have the savings to [recover from] something like this,” he said. “We’re going to do our best to help make these families whole again so this isn’t the biggest financial crisis of their lives.” Hutto Has Heart established a flood relief fund at Regions Bank in Hutto and is seeking partnerships with area companies and organizations. Local businesses that have already contributed to flood relief in Hutto include McDonald’s, Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, Guthrie Cleaners and Cheesehaus, McGrath said. Funds donated to Hutto Has Heart for flood relief will be used to assist local families with food, clean-up, home or property repair and temporary shelter if needed, according to the organization. Remaining funds will be released to the Hutto Has Heart Assistance Account for future uses. Donations can me made to Hutto Has Heart through the organization’s website at www.huttohasheart.org or by check (made out to Hutto Has Heart, memo Hutto Flood Relief). Checks can be mailed to Hutto Has Heart, PO Box 65, Hutto, 78634 or hand-delivered to Regions Bank, located at 500 Highway 79 West in Hutto. Hutto families who have experienced flood damage should report damages to Hutto Public Information Officer Christina Kane-Gibson at 512-759-4034 before contacting Hutto Has Heart representatives at 512-632-1008 or 830-377-8643.