HOUSTON — In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, first responders and private citizens have mobilized to rescue citizens left stranded by the high flood waters. Railroaders based in the area are among those who have risen to the occasion to assist their neighbors.

BNSF released a Facebook post indicating that its employees have assisted in rescuing more than 100 people in the regions hardest hit by the flooding. The images accompanying the post depicted four locomotive engineers based out of Temple, Texas — Dave Reasnor, Randy Smith, Matt Von Rajcs and Wes Van Wagenen — using a boat to rescue residents of a flooded house.

"Throughout this historic event, friends, neighbors and strangers have come together to support one another — including countless rescues of those stranded by the floodwaters," says Amy Casas, a spokesperson for BNSF. "BNSF railroaders are known for their tough-minded optimism."

Since it made landfall on the Texas coast Aug. 25, Hurricane Harvey has dropped almost 50 inches of rain on the hardest hit areas. The force of the storm forced all railroads operating in the area to cease train movements and close sorting yards and other facilities.