On Thursday, Joshua Taylor had his first day off since signing into his shift for the Port Arthur Fire Department back on Aug. 24.
Unfortunately, while Taylor was rescuing flood victims, his own neighborhood was being swamped. Now his street is littered with sheetrock from flood-damaged homes.
Taylor said his house received 6 to 10 inches of floodwater - not as bad as some of his compatriots on the Bridge City Volunteer Fire Department, where he volunteers, but bad enough that he has to replace about two feet of sheetrock and insulation throughout his house.
The International Association of Fire Fighters has been checking on first-responders' homes while they have been involved in rescue operations and is helping during recovery.