Emergency Management dealing with deluge of rainwater

May 2—Huntsville and much of Walker County has received approximately 9.57 inches of rain since 8 p.m. Wednesday until noon Friday, according to the National Weather Service Center's Huntsville Municipal Airport totals.

Walker County Judge Colt Christian said forecast include another 4 to 6 inches on Sunday alone.

"The Storm Shelter is open, taking residents forced out of their homes," Judge Christian said. "We are treating the shelter as more of a transitional location. Because some people don't have a home to go back to, we are trying to help facilitate them finding somewhere to go."

Judge Christian said he expects to have a better idea on Sunday if the Shelter can be closed. He is hoping the County can get back to normal operation soon.

"We are staying in correspondence with state agencies, and have been since Monday when I declared a disaster," Judge Christian said. "Additionally, the Governor issued a declaration on Tuesday."

Homeowners should get on the Walker County Emergency Management app to begin filling out the documents necessary for recovery efforts to be coordinated. Judge Christian said that once the storms have run their course, teams will be formed to go out and collect data and images of the damages.

"The next step for the County to receive assistance is for FEMA to declare a disaster," Judge Christian said. "I think we will get there before Monday."

Report damages to TDEM's online damage survey on www.damage.tdem.texas.gov or on the Walker County Emergency Mobile App under Report Damages Tab.

City Manager Aron Kulhavy reported that all City Administrative Offices were closed to the public on Thursday. Business was back to normal for all offices on Friday, with crews continuing to clean up as rain continued to fall.

"We do have various operations ongoing," Kulhavy said. "Solid Waste employees are working to clear dumpsters that have moved during the storm and are in public streets."

Kulhavy added that the City is following all messaging for drivers to stay off the roadways if possible, especially where roads continue to flood.

All non-emergency calls should be going to 294-5700.

Mayor Russell Humphrey added that he feels confident that staff will continue to monitor and assess the damage and that he has approved an emergency declaration for the city.

"I am asking our citizens to be patient as the storms are not done and it will take time to get many things back to normal," Mayor Humphrey said. "Our system is already taxed from Tuesday night into Wednesday storms. And there is more rain to come."

Huntsville ISD closed Thursday and Friday due to the flooding in the area.

"The decision was made after careful consideration and consultation with local emergency management officials," Hollis said. "While we like to wait as long as possible to make this decision so it can be based on real time information, we also realize the more notice we give families and staff, the better it is for their planning."

Hollis added that the administration fully expects to be back to normal operations by Monday, and any changes or updates will be sent through the district's mass notification system, posted on the district website (www.huntsville-isd.org) and official social media pages.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have suffered loss or damage during this weather event. Please stay safe," Hollis said.

Huntsville State Park is closed for the near future.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's State parks such as Huntsville, Village Creek and Fort Parker have closed. Once floodwaters recede, park areas will remain closed until repairs and cleanup have finished and areas are safe for public use.

Texas Game Wardens and Texas State Parks Police Officers continue actively evacuating and rescuing Texans from floodwaters in multiple counties in collaboration with the Texas Department of Emergency Management's State Operations Center.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Law Enforcement has deployed boats and drones to assist in search and rescue efforts. TPWD also has representatives at the State Operations Center while it is actively responding to the flooding event.

Contact Brenda Poe at editor@itemonline.com