Coryell County Judge issues declaration of local disaster
Special to the Leader-Press
Pursuant to Section 418.108, Texas Government Code, the County Judge of Coryell County, Roger A Miller, has issued a declaration of local disaster for all of Coryell County as a result of the widespread and devasting flood of May 4-5, 2024.
During the evening hours of May 4, 2024, Coryell County, Texas received as much as six (6) inches of rain in many parts of the County. This followed rain accumulations of as much as seven (7) inches in the preceding week. The resulting flood waters have created a devastating impact on the infrastructure of Coryell County, as well as tremendous loss to homes, properties, businesses, and agriculture and ranching operations.
According to the USGS website, the Leon River gauge height, measured at the Gatesville, Texas location, reached a peak of 33.78 feet at 10:00am today. This is a new record high for May 5th, of any year, over the last 30 years. The previous record high was 29.73 feet, recorded on May 5, 1990. According to the National Weather Service, the flood stage for the Leon River at Gatesville is 22 feet. As of 8:45pm, the gauge height was 32.14 feet and falling. The gauge height is predicted to continue to fall even though chances of rain are forecast for the coming week.
“We’ve been dealt a bit of a blow to our roads, infrastructure, personal properties, businesses, and agricultural and ranching operations,” stated County Judge Roger Miller. “Our farmers and ranchers are dependent upon rainfall to make their operations viable and profitable; God just gave us a little more than we were able to handle. But we are very fortunate that we haven’t had any loss of life or serious injury at this point.”
The Coryell County Road and Bridge Department is working around the clock to mark high water areas while assessing damages to roads, bridges, and low-water crossings on County roads. TxDOT has been working with the County to assess the damages to State and Federal Highways and roads.
“I am currently aware of 22 County Roads that have been closed, primarily due to high waters and road damage due to swift flowing water,” states Miller. “Of particular concern is the closure of FM 116. I have consulted with TxDOT and they have indicated that the road will remain closed for the next several days. When the waters recede, they will make an assessment of the damage and a possible timeline to fix and re-open the road. Until we get an official word from TxDOT, everyone attempting to cross the Cow House Creek at Pidcoke, should seek an alternate route.”
Citizens are strongly encouraged to avoid any and all high-water areas. If there is water on the roadway, turn around and seek an alternate route. Additionally, citizens may begin reporting business and personal property damages directly to the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) on their website at https://damage.tdem.texas.gov; select “Spring Sever Weather and Flooding Event”.
More information about Coryell County services, including Emergency Management and County Disaster Declarations, may be found at https://www.coryellcounty.org