Heroes among us

Houston flood victim grateful for Uvalde man

Kimberly Rubio

Assistant editor

It didn’t take more than watching The Weather Channel for Russell Furnace of Uvalde to launch a two-man rescue mission.

Between last Sunday and Wednesday Furnace and his brother, Justin Furnace, rescued more than 1,000 Houston area residents, many who were elderly or disabled. On Thursday, 83-year-old Minjo McKinny phoned the Uvalde Leader-News to express gratitude.

“I felt that his hometown should know he is a hero,” McKinny said.

McKinny, along with two others, was rescued from the second story of her brother’s Houston residence on Monday afternoon.

McKinny owns a town-home in a different part of Houston, but when she learned of severe weather approaching she went to stay with her brother in the Alberdeen Green subdivision in the northwest part of the city.

“I was staying with my brother. He thought it was safer there than in my townhouse,” McKinny said. “But my townhouse didn’t have any water damage. His house did suffer a lot of damage.”

McKinny said flood waters forced them to retreat to the second floor of her brother’s home, where they awaited evacuation.

“We were watching The Weather Channel early Sunday morning and the reporter started talking about a mom and baby needing rescuing from a rooftop,” said Tonya Furnace, Russell Furnace’s wife. “He looked at me and said, ‘I’m sorry love, I can’t sit here when I have an airboat in the barn that could be used.’”

“I had the boat as a resource and I just felt compelled to go help. Do what I could,” Russel Furnace said. “My brother lives in Houston and was fortunate enough to not be affected by the floods.”

Russell Furnace departed Uvalde on Sunday and met his brother, Justin, in Cypress.

“He drove to Justin’s house, picked him up and they began working,” Tonya Furnace said.

“It was pouring rain and the wind was blowing. I was terrified,” McKinny said. “And here came these two men in airboats. I don’t know what they need airboats for in Uvalde, but I am glad they had one.”

Once rescued from her brother’s second-story balcony, McKinny said the Furnace brothers took her to a service station, and from there she was taken in a school bus to a shelter.

“I was terrified and it happened so fast, so there was no chance to thank anyone, but I remembered hearing one of them say they were from Uvalde,” McKinny said of her rescuers.

McKinny called the Uvalde Leader-News office on Thursday to proclaim there are heroes among us.

“I felt that his hometown should know Uvalde has heroes,” McKinny said. “I want him to know there are some of us here who are forever grateful. His family needs to know that we are grateful.

“There are heroes walking among you,” McKinny said.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my husband and his brother for using their resources and time to help save so many people during this horrific flood,” said Tonya Furnace. “I’m blown away by the outpouring of love and prayers sent from near and far. I have no doubt those prayers kept the guys going each day.”

Russell Furnace