May 24: County Judge Neal Franklin issued a Disaster Declaration for Smith County late Friday afternoon due to the amount of damages caused by Thursday night’s storm in southern Smith County.
The disaster declaration was filed shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, after officials held a press conference in Bullard at 3 p.m. Friday to update the community about the storm damage.
Declaring a disaster allows officials and emergency management personnel to access additional resources to support operational needs, as well as it allows for additional resources to be made available to citizens.
The severe storm that blew through the Bullard and Emerald Bay area at around 8 p.m. on May 23, 2024, left dozens of homes affected and many more residents with large amounts of debris, Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore said.
Smith County Emergency Services District 2 Chief Eric Greaser said there was no homes completely damaged, although some residences had trees through roofs and some out buildings were lost. The first responders worked until about 3 a.m. Friday helping residents and responding to calls and went back out a few hours later.
Greaser said the marina at Lake Palestine suffered heavy damage, which would impact people with lake plans for Memorial Day weekend.
He said about 3,500 power outages have been reported by Oncor as of 3 p.m. Friday.
The U.S. National Weather Service has not arrived to assess the damage.
Greaser said it is unknown if the storm was a tornado, but large trees being completely uprooted shows how strong the winds were.
He said severe weather could be a possibility Friday night and ESD2 has added more staff to be ready for severe weather conditions, and they will continue to monitor the forecast.
Members from ESD2, Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office, Smith County GIS, Smith County CERT (Community Emergency Response Team, Smith County COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster) and Crisis Response Ministries are activated to serve the affected citizens of Smith County, Moore said.
SHELTER
There is a shelter open at Bullard Southern Baptist Church, located at 716 N. Houston St. in Bullard, for those who need it. There are currently five people staying at the church, Moore said. The shelter is open in partnership with the American Red Cross and is being managed by Smith County CERT. The American Red Cross is providing snacks and water at the shelter, and Brookshires is providing additional resources.
“I would like to personally thank the churches in Bullard for stepping up and opening their doors for sheltering operations, and all of the volunteers who have come forward to help their fellow citizens,” Moore said. “I would also like to thank Brookshires for providing additional resources to those in need and our first responders. From the companies and nonprofit organizations to the volunteers offering their services, Smith County is continuing to be a whole community.”
ROADS
About 20 Smith County roads had trees down throughout the area and Road and Bridge crews worked throughout the night, beginning around 9 p.m. Thursday, and continuing throughout Friday morning until all roads were open to drivers.
No county roads are closed because of downed trees.
County Roads 1171 and 187 remained closed Friday afternoon because of low power lines waiting to be safely removed by Oncor before they can reopen.
For Smith County residents living on county roads – you can place your storm debris in the right-of-way of your county road (not on the road) and Road and Bridge crews will pick it up, Franklin said. He asked residents to be patient, as it may take several days for the wood debris to be picked up. Smith County Road and Bridge crews will only pick up storm debris left in the right-of-way of county roads. They cannot go on private property or pick up debris on city or state roads.
RECOVERY CENTER
There will be a Recovery Center open Monday, May 27, at Bullard City Hall, offering resources to those who suffered damages from the storm.
Moore said the Recover Center is essentially a resource fair for those who need it. From 10 am. to 2 p.m. Monday, the available services will include assistance programs from the Red Cross and various assistance programs through other nonprofit organizations, such as the United Way of Smith County. Bullard City Hall is located at 114 S. Phillips St. in Bullard.
Smith County citizens affected by this storm are urged to complete the Texas Division of Emergency Management damage assessment form to report their damage. Moore said doing so allows them to track damage and identify needs.
If you received property damage due to last night’s storm, please report it here: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/344d59d323fd47b3bab8e8cd60b64585?field%3Aincident_id=23-0017%2015JUNE%20Severe%20Weather&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3dYy5vdB6uwxU6C8_TY1jdEwggzLq67PYQFkxxFBP6lQX2GC-u703zuoM_aem_AQm75jpHuRcPBgns4a9KE2cVMc-t9E7PPc0hF1JV_8mWEpbQ6HBwjJw7weHMxMYn-bQ6kS3jILvhy-6Uzgj6ZF4z
