NEWS
Tornado recovery goes slow; community reflects on rebuilding one year later
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Devastating, heartbreaking, shocking are just a few of the words used by Bowie residents to describe the aftermath of the May 22, 2020 tornado.
At 8:29 p.m. as storm sirens blared across the city an EF-1 tornado ripped a path of destruction across Bowie. It arrived in the midst of heavy rain, straight-line winds and hail.
Funnel clouds were reported all around the area from Bellevue to Jack County. Blue lightning filled the skies followed by an eerie quiet and the sound of a freight train, many now know was the tornado.
The National Weather Service said the tornado had winds up to 95 mph and straight-line winds were tracked at 70-85 mph during the storm.
It appeared the tornado took a path along West Wise Street and traveled into downtown before swinging to the south side pulling the roof from the school administration building, turning numerous mobile homes into kindling or moving it across the street, taking down blocks of power poles and ripping off roofs.
Initially, there were 400 to 500 power poles impacted, about 50 businesses were damaged and more than 200 residents had different levels of damage. As the area was surveyed in the following weeks the numbers rose with 570 total properties affected, 468 residences and 102 businesses.
Read the full feature in the weekend Bowie News.
One person went to the Bowie emergency room following this accident on U.S. Highway 81 and Applegate Road at 2:52 p.m. Wednesday. Department of Public Safety officers report a truck tractor tanker was north bound on Hwy 81 driven by Michael Logan, 57, Duncan, OK. A passenger car moved into the left lane to pass the truck and Logan reportedly tapped his brakes, that locked up causing him to jack-knife across the highway. As the tanker crossed into oncoming traffic a southbound Dodge Ram 2500 pickup driven by Bradley Werner, 49, Lavaca, AZ struck the tanker. Werner was transported by Bowie EMS to the ER with undisclosed injuries. Texas Department of Transportation crews arrived on the scene to assist while debris and vehicles were removed from the highway. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The Montague County Grand Jury issued nine indictments during this week’s April session.
The 97th District Attorney said there also were four no-bills and five sealed cases awaiting the arrest of a suspect.
Read the full list of cases in the weekend Bowie News.
The City of Nocona received a clean audit as its council addressed a variety of topics in its April 9 meeting.
Accountant David Parkman presented the financial report ending Sept. 20, 2023 prepared by Edgin, Parkman, Parkman and Fleming PC. City Secretary Revell Hardison said there were no issues and the year ended strongly.
A pair of requests from the Nocona Economic Development Corporation were approved. The second reading to expend $13,025 from the NEDC A and B boards to purchase a mower and maintenance vehicles and to top dress greens at Indian Oaks Golf Course was finalized.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
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