Johnson City, Blanco County consider emergency declaration after hail storm

JOHNSON CITY, Texas (KXAN) — Mayor Stephanie Fisher said Johnson City and Blanco County leaders are currently deciding whether to declare a state of emergency after large hail tore through the community Thursday evening.

Fisher said there’s no estimate for how many homes were affected by the storm, which produced hail around 5-6 inches in Johnson City.

PHOTOS: Severe weather brings DVD-size hail in Central Texas

Throughout the community of 1,800 people, trees and bushes battered by rain and hail have left leaves and debris scattered across lawns and roads.

Fisher said to her knowledge, there were at least 35 homes she’s aware of that were hard hit with hail. She said the strong natural force punctured metal roofs and shattered numerous windshields.

“We had a piece of hail that was so large it punctured through their metal roof and into their drywall. That couple had a lot of water damage, there’s so many homes with water damage,” Fisher said.

Fisher said the city’s goal right now is to help residents cover and patch the holes in their roofs from the storm.

“Our focus right now is helping our residents do what they need to do, to get their roofs patched for now. Look for a long term solution of getting those repaired and finding ways to help them pay for it,” Fisher said.

Fisher asks anyone whose property was damaged in the storm to not only report it to their insurance provider but also the Texas Department of Emergency Management.

The Blanco County Office of Emergency Management shared a link to TDEM’s iSTAT Damage Surveys page via social media Thursday night.

In the event that the city and county declare an emergency, Fisher said officials would have to prove there was $52,000 worth of damage done to uninsured properties in the area.

She predicts damage will easily pass that threshold, which could happen even faster with prompt reporting.

‘It was horrible’

A couple living in Johnson City on Ranchview Drive said the hail came so quickly, and they weren’t prepared for what came next.

When describing the hole that was seen in the couple’s home on the ceiling, they described it as being round in nature.

“So, it must have been from the hail,” they said.

“All of a sudden we hear of this hail on the roof and then then we had water coming in through the air conditioning,” the couple said. “Oh, it was horrible. It just came so quickly.”

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