Whitney experienced additional rounds of severe storms and torrential rainfall Thursday, May 30, leading to wind damage and flooding around town. Pictured above, a wall at a car wash on North Brazos Street collapsed during high winds and fell onto an occupied vehicle parked in the bay. Marilyn Heinen of Whitney said that she had pulled into the car wash and was about to get out and wash bugs off of her vehicle when the wall fell. “I would like to thank Chief Nevil at the Whitney Police Department for assisting myself and my disabled son,” Heinen said. “He helped us get a tow truck and let both of us sit in his cruiser until the tow truck came since it was raining out at the time.” She also thanked the first responders who came to the scene to assist. The occupants of the vehicle sustained minor injuries.
It has been a wet start to 2024, with 34.72″ of precipitation measured in the Hill County seat through Friday, May 31.
National Weather Service records maintained at KHBR Studios in Hillsboro showed 12.45″ of rainfall in May alone.
Last year, 4.93″ was recorded in May, and the 2023 total through the end of May was 16.46″. May 2022 saw 3.33″ of precipitation and a total of just 9.63″ in the first five months of the year.
Records kept in Waco show May 2024 as the wettest month ever, with 15.29″ of precipitation recorded. Coming in second is October 2015 with a total of 15.19″.
Governor Greg Abbott has continued to amend his disaster declaration, first issued on April 30, adding more counties to the list of those impacted by severe weather. Both Hill and Bosque counties were previously included in the declaration.
The governor’s request for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance Program for 23 Texas counties, including Hill and Bosque, was still under FEMA review as of last week.
In addition to heavy precipitation, multiple rounds of storms have caused property damage in some areas due to wind, hail and flooding. Fires have also been reported due to lightning strikes.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) is reminding Texans impacted by recent severe weather and flooding to report property damage by submitting an online damage assessment survey.
Texans can report storm damage to homes and businesses using the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) damage survey. iSTAT surveys can be filled out in English and Spanish by visiting damage.tdem.texas.gov and clicking “Spring Severe Weather and Flooding Event.”
In addition to helping officials determine eligibility for various forms of disaster assistance, the information provided in the self-reported damage assessment surveys also aids officials in connecting impacted Texans with available resources to assist with the disaster recovery process.
Disaster preparedness information from TDEM can be accessed at tdem.texas.gov/prepare.
The Texas Department of Insurance has tips for Texans on filing storm-related claims for homes and automobiles with insurance coverage. Texans can access information on purchasing or renewing flood insurance policies through the National Flood Insurance Program at floodsmart.gov. A flood insurance policy typically takes up to 30 days to take effect, so it is important to plan ahead before the next disaster strikes.
Hill County has an emergency notification system to keep residents informed in the event of severe weather and other emergency situations.
Residents can sign up to receive phone call, text or email updates as needed by registering with the Office of Emergency Management at http://www.hilloem.com.
The Lakelander 