Flash flooding leads to downed trees, experts warns of continued storms
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (KBTX) – Over 75 high water rescues have happened in Walker County since the beginning of the month.
Thursday night’s storms had Emergency Management and first responders busy with 15 high water rescues and multiple major car accidents, which is on top of 60 water rescues they did in storms at the beginning of May.
“In the 20 years I’ve been here, I’ve never seen the river get that high,” Butch Davis, Walker County Emergency Management Coordinator, said.
Davis said luckily, Thursday’s flood waters didn’t lead to any injuries, but there were some scary incidents.
“We had two school buses get stranded,” he said. “One of them had 20 kids on it and they went into a subdivision and when they went to come back out they couldn’t cross the bridge.”
The flood waters receded quickly, opening roadways for drivers Friday morning. This led to a new host of problems including downed trees. Davis said due to the amount of rain they got this month, this was no surprise.
“The ground is so saturated that the trees can’t stand it and when you put the high wind on it, you’re going to have downed trees,” he said.
Downed trees and no electricity are why the Huntsville State Park in Walker County will remain closed through the weekend. State Park officials closed the area at the beginning of May following some storm damage and planned to open up Friday. This plan changed Friday morning as crews and employees arrived in the area.
As clean-up continues around the county, Davis says residents need to remain aware of incoming storms and be prepared for the next few months.
“We’re less than 30 days from hurricane season starting so we’re trying to get everyone to understand you need a plan, you need to know what you’re going to do, you need a pile of supplies that you might need,” he said.
The Huntsville State Park is posting updates about when they will reopen on Facebook.
