NEWS
Late August flooding damage proves costly
AccuWeather Global Weather Center –AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers estimate the total damage and economic loss resulting from the significant flash flooding in Dallas Sunday, Aug. 21 and Monday Aug. 22 would range between $4.5 billion and $6 billion.
“As AccuWeather accurately predicted at least 6 days in advance, slow-moving, heavy thunderstorms dumped copious amounts of rain on the sprawling region in a short period of time. AccuWeather also warned of the risk for rapid runoff due to the dry landscape and hard soils, leading to overflowing rivers and streams. ‘Drenching, drought-easing, deluge and dangerous’ were terms that AccuWeather meteorologists specifically used to describe the unfolding event and communicate the risk to people businesses and communities. AccuWeather expert meteorologists accurately predicted that extreme rainfall rates of 2-4 inches per hour would lead to rapidly rising water and a quickly escalating dangerous flash flood emergency.
“Within a couple of hours, reports of street flooding were already pouring in, and by and Monday afternoon, parts of the city picked up 8-12 inches of rain with some localized amounts of more than 15 inches. By Monday evening, the flooding had tragically already turned deadly when it was reported that a 60-year-old woman was killed when her vehicle was swept away in the flood waters.”
Myers, who has been studying the economic impact of severe weather for over 50 years, said, “Our estimate largely accounts for damage to homes, businesses, roadways and vehicles as well as power outages, which resulted in food spoilage that will be expensive to replace due to recent inflation. Flight and school cancellations and delays and significant delays to shipping and supply chain within one of the country’s major economic hubs were also contributing factors to the economic toll of the storm.”
Myers estimate is based on an analysis incorporating independent methods to evaluate all direct and indirect impacts of the storm, includes both insured and uninsured losses, and is based on a variety of sources, statistics, and unique techniques AccuWeather uses to estimate the damage, and includes damage to property, job and wage losses, infrastructure damage, auxiliary business losses and medical expenses. The estimate also accounts for the costs of evacuations, relocations, emergency management and the extraordinary government and private expenses for and cleanup operations and the long-term effects on business logistics, transportation, tourism and the tail health effects resulting from flooding and the disease caused by standing water.
Additional storms in Dallas and Ellis County over Labor Day weekend brought even more damage as high winds and hail pounded the area in later afternoon storms on Saturday and Sunday. Power was knocked out in many communities around Cedar Hill State Park, as well as the park for about 12 hours.
Bowie City Councilors heard complaints about the recently approved food truck ordinance during last week’s meeting and were updated on damage from recent flash flooding.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris also presented a proclamation for Emergency Medical Services Week, as members of the local EMS team were presented with the proclamation.
In his city manager’s report, Bert Cunningham said there were numerous problems with excessive rainfall during the last few weeks, with the most significant at Rock and Pillar where the rusted washed out culverts have been deteriorating for several years. Portions of Rock have collapsed near that intersection closing part of the street.
Another less traveled street had a sinkhole which the city crews have repaired, and two crews have been out trying to fill potholes and make street repairs as they can.
Cunningham told the council they have to figure out a way to pay for the new culverts on Rock and Pillar, and he has been meeting with a pair of engineering companies to get some preliminary estimates that are close to $1,000,000. He also has been talking with the city’s financial advisor to discuss options for financing repairs.
Read the full story in the May 22 Bowie News.
Photo – Mayor Gaylynn Burris presented a proclamation from the City of Bowie for National EMS Recognition Week. Several members of the Bowie EMS team were present: Daniel Fogle, Enrique Roman, Fire Chief Doug Page, Chad Gerlach, Marco Sandoval and Luke Waltersheid. (Courtesy photo)
A 30-year-old female from Seymour was killed in a one-vehicle crash south of Bowie on U.S. 81 on May 17.
The accident occurred at 9:20 a.m. as local emergency personnel were called to the scene. Staff of the Department of Public Safety report the deceased driver is Faye Penner who was driving a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado.
A preliminary investigation revealed the vehicle was traveling south on the U.S. 81 service road attempting to merge onto the main highway. The report states Fenner was driving at an unsafe speed and traveled off the roadway to the right. The driver took faulty evasive action and overcorrected to the left.
The pickup traveled back across U.S. 81, went into the bar ditch and collided into a concrete bridge pillar.
Two vehicles were involved in a separate major accident that happened on May 16 on State Highway 59 involving a semi-truck and a pickup at 4:56 p.m.
The DPS report states Bradley Henscheid II, 26, Muenster, was driving a 2016 Freightliner towing a trailer south on State Highway 59 near Haney Road.
The second vehicle was a pickup driving by Gage Ice, 17, Saint Jo, who was traveling behind the large truck.
Henscheid was attempting to make a right turn. Ice was reportedly distracted and when he looked up saw the semi-truck’s brake lights.
The pickup driver took faulty evasive action and veered onto the right improved shoulder to avoid hitting the back of the semi’s trailer. Ice’s pickup then struck the Freightliner as it turned right.
Neither of the drivers were injured.
By BARBARA GREEN editor@bowienewsonline.com
Tuesday night ’ s meeting of the Lake Amon Carter Water Supply Corporation disintegrated into yelling and name-calling leading to no resolution on providing water to a developer asking for service.
With two items on the agenda the meeting lasted only one hour and ended abruptly as Chairman John Halbrook stood up while a board member was arguing with audience members exclaiming, “We’re done here folks.”
In a late April meeting, subdivision developer Daniel Deweber and two of his residents came to the board asking why they were being denied water when the nearly 30 lots are located within the corporation’s service area. Questions also arose about the board allegedly violating open records and open meeting’s laws by not allowing people to attend some of their meetings or posting meetings.
Board members have told Deweber he needs to file a new non-standard application based on their information from the Public Utilities Commission and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Deweber counters the PUC has indicated he is a qualified applicant and does not have to file again. There also is a dispute whether he has to apply under The new tariff that was adopted in May 2024 or the previous one in place when he originally applied. Deweber said he has been told by thePUC staff not to reapply as he as the original
tariff applies.
Read the full story in the May 15 Bowie News.
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