Disasters were declared by state and local officials after heavy rainfall that began Friday, April 26, caused flooding throughout the area.
Governor Greg Abbott declared a disaster in 29 counties, including Hill County, Tuesday, April 30. On Thursday, May 2, he expanded that to include another 59 at-risk counties, including Bosque.
“For Texans in at-risk areas, it is important to remain weather-aware, follow the guidance of state and local officials, and avoid traveling in dangerous flood conditions,” Abbott said. “The State of Texas continues working with emergency management and local officials to deploy any additional resources needed to provide ongoing support and protect our fellow Texans.”
In his proclamation, the governor said that severe storms that began the previous Friday were continuing and causing widespread damage due to heavy rainfall, flash flooding, river flooding, large hail and hazardous wind gusts.
Hill County Judge Justin Lewis followed Abbott’s action with a local declaration of disaster Wednesday, May 1. Lewis said that the county may not meet the state’s threshold for individual assistance because only uninsured damages are eligible. The county is more likely to meet the public assistance threshold, the judge said.
Hill County residents can find information about reporting disaster damage to the state at http://www.hilloem.com/disaster.
Reporting information does not guarantee financial assistance, but it helps the state gather information about where people have been affected. If Texas meets its federal damage threshold across the disaster area as a whole, the state would be eligible for federal assistance.
With rainfall repeatedly falling on saturated ground and full bodies of water, damage has been reported by some property owners due to flooding. Three tornadoes — two EF1s and one EF2 — also touched down in Hill County Friday, April 26, causing damage to a few properties.
The county seat received 22.27″ of rain from January through April, which compares to 11.53″ received from January 2023 through April 2023.
The wet weather has continued into May, and Sunday morning, May 5, the Bosque County Sheriff’s Office was reporting heavy flooding throughout the area after another round of weekend storms that dumped over 7 inches of rain on Clifton and around 4 inches on the Whitney area.
Multiple roads were closed, and the Texas Department of Transportation was responding to address high water on roadways, including the State Highway 174 bridge over the Brazos River.
Lake Whitney stood at 539.20’ above sea level Sunday, May 5, over six feet above normal. Lake Aquilla was at 546.24’, almost nine feet above normal.
The Texas State Emergency Operations Center continues to operate at a Level II escalated response, with 24-hour emergency management council operations, in order to support requests for state assistance from local officials in areas impacted by storms and flooding.
Texans are urged to monitor local forecasts, make an emergency plan, and follow instructions of emergency response officials. Never drive or walk through flooded roads, and do not drive around barricaded roadways. Remember: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
Texans can access flood information at TexasFlood.org, find flood preparedness tips at TexasReady.gov, check road conditions at DriveTexas.org, and locate severe weather resources at tdem.texas.gov.
The Lakelander 