Updates
- Planting a Field of Flags
Volunteers work feverishly at the property next to Spring Creek Barbeque Thursday afternoon installing the Field of Flags display in time for Memorial Day weekend festivities. Mary Vinson/Hood County News
- Bar association offers tornado victims free information, consultation
Between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. today (Thursday, May 23), the Hood County Bar Association is offering Hood County tornado victims free information and consultation on legal issues related to the disaster. It will be in the Hood County Annex 1 building, 1410 W. Pearl St.
- Donations made for four-legged tornado victims
Animal Control has received just over $6,000 in donations from local residents who are concerned about pets displaced by last week’s tornado. Sheriff Roger Deeds said the next Commissioners Court agenda will have an item calling for the county to officially accept those monetary gifts.
- Sheriff: No federal aid for Hood County
Sheriff Roger Deeds and Fire Marshal Ray Wilson said late Wednesday (May 22) that the total tornado damage sustained by Hood and several other Texas counties does not meet the $34 million criteria to qualify for federal aid. A comprehensive figure for the dollar damage in Hood County has not yet been firmly established.
- Boil water notice canceled for Rancho Brazos system
SouthWest Water Company announced today that it has canceled the boil water notice that had been in effect since the day after the May 15 tornado destroyed or heavily damaged much of the subdivision, according to Tim Williford, environmental health and safety manager. “Our system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore water supply, disenfectant levels, and/or bacteriological quality and has provided TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) with testing results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling,” Williford said. If you have questions, call SouthWest Water Company at 866-654-7992.
- Hero paramedic to serve as pallbearer for tornado victim
Dale Alexander, an Arlington firefighter and paramedic who lives in deCordova Ranch, has been asked by the family of Tommy Joe Martin to serve as a pallbearer today (Wednesday, May 22) at graveside services in Brock for Martin and his mother-in-law, Marjorie Ann Davis. Alexander and others came to the aid of Martin and Davis, as well as Martin’s wife, Betsy. The three were flung 300 yards when Davis’ home just outside deCordova Ranch was destroyed by the tornado. Betsy Martin is in a Fort Worth hospital with multiple injuries. Though a family member had thought Alexander had placed Betsy Martin in the back of his pick-up, it was actually Tommy, said Alexander, who happened to have emergency medical equipment with him and administered an IV to the mortally wounded man. Tommy died just as he was being placed in an ambulance, said Alexander.
- Photos of the many forms of help for tornado victims
A photo gallery of the help that flooded in from near and far to help the victims of the deadly tornado that ravaged the Rancho Brazos neighborhood. Governor Rick Perry and Attorney General Greg Abbott gave a press conference after touring the devastated area last week. Click for photo gallery.
- United Co-op working to restore power to tornado-affected areas
According to a statement from United Cooperative Services, which provides electrical power to the Rancho Brazos subdivision that was devastated by the May 15 killer tornado that flattened much of that area, all United members who have been temporarily or permanently displaced by the disaster are being urged to contact the power company’s office as soon as possible this week in order to provide good contact information through the restoration process. “Our board of directors approved an additional measure Friday to forgive current electric bills of any member whose primary residence has been completely or severely damaged by the tornado,” said Mauri Montgomery, vice president of media and community relations. “Once debris has been cleared for our engineering and construction crews, we estimate the first phase of that reconstruction work will be completed in days, not weeks.” He noted that in the span of 10 to 12 hours following the tornado strike, United crews were able to restore power to all but about 380 members, mostly in the Rancho Brazos area.
