Rains damage homes, businesses, roads
by Sherrie Williams
Last week Iowa Park and surrounding firefighters were worried about wildfires threatening property, livestock and lives.

Monday night they were faced with a flash flood that not only threatened, but in many cases destroyed or heavily damaged people’s property and homes and displaced them as well as livestock and other animals.

The ordeal began at 12:04 a.m. Tuesday when Burkburnett requested aid from Iowa Park firefighters with their rescue boat to assist in rescuing people from their homes and vehicles as flood waters began surrounding Burkburnett and even flooded I-44 which was shut down to traffic.

As they were returning home just after 1 a.m. from assisting Burkburnett, they began receiving calls for help in their own area, according to Iowa Park Fire Chief Randy Fulbright.

Calls began to come in reporting flooded roadways and homes, leaving motorists and residents stranded.

“We had people in trees, on top of their homes, and vehicles,” Fulbright said.

One man told Fulbright he had been in a tree two hours when he was rescued.

While several of the homes and businesses that flooded were not in a floodway, they had seen properties nearby flood in the past but they had always been spared.

Many of the residents in the Pleasant Valley area had gone to bed feeling secure, listening to the falling rain, only to wake when their beds started getting wet.

Mark Carter, owner of Pleasant Valley Grocery said in the 20 years he has owned his store located just east of FM 369 on Business 287 (Old Iowa Park Road), he has seen the flooding in the area but it had never made it’s way into his business.

This time was different.

There were reports of 12-inches of rain in Burkburnett and three to four inches in Iowa Park.

“I got a call at 10 minutes to four and wasn’t able to get in here because all the roads were flooded until 6:30 a.m. Then when I stepped out of my truck I stepped into water,” he said.

Carter said there was 11-inches of water in the store. However, by Wednesday morning he was open for business despite losing equipment including a walk-in cooler in the flood waters.

Most of the major flooding occurred on Huntington Lane, Wellington , Old Iowa Park Road, FM 367 and 369 and Vickers Court.

US 287 was shut down for several hours.

One truck driver from Hereford, Texas described how his truck received heavy damage as he traveled down US 287. The man was driving an 18-wheeler loaded with cattle, west on US 287 early Tuesday morning. He said he drove through some water east on FM 369 but it wasn’t deep so he continued on. He had gotten his truck back up to speed and crossed over FM 369 only to face a lake of water covering the road just to the west of the overpass.

“I hit it traveling 55 M.P.H.”, he said. “There was about five feet of water over the road.” He was able to control the truck so the only damages it suffered was a crumpled hood from the impact of the water.

Vehicles were seen in several locations washed into ditches and off culverts.
“What was different this time from last June is we didn’t have a chance to have the residents on standby. We didn’t go out and check water levels throughout the night.

The water came and we couldn’t get in front of it,” Fulbright said.

People who have lived in the area said they saw flooding in areas they have never seen before, and none could recall US 287 being under water.

Several areas of the train tracks along Business 287 were also washed out.

By Tuesday afternoon Railroad crews lined the tracks and heavy equipment lined the roadway as repairs were made.

Fulbright said emergency workers from across the county came to assist.

Fire departments from Electra, Wichita West, Wichita East, Punkin Center, the City of Wichita Falls, local and Montague County Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens, assisted in the rescue efforts.

TxDot provided manpower assisting with traffic control.

The City of Wichita Falls also sent buses to the command post where rescued citizens were taken to be transported to a shelter set up at City View Baptist Church.

Texoma Christian Care Center also sent a bus to assist with transportation.

“This was a joint effort. Everyone who cared and could was there to assist in one way or another,” Fulbright said.

Before day break the water began to recede and Wichita County Emergency Management Coordinator Lee Bourgoin arrived with the counties new mobile command post and set it up at a convenience store at FM 369 and US 287, and began working on coordinating rescue efforts.

Several families were taken out of the flooded area by boat then shuttled in the back of pickups to the command post area, before riding a bus to City View.

Fulbright said he didn’t have an exact number of those rescued, but he believes it was around 100 people, and a number of pets.

Tuesday evening Wichita County Judge Woody Gossum sent a request for an emergency declaration, declaring a state of emergency in Wichita County, to Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Wichita County Public Health District is recommending that those individuals directly exposed to the flood waters be immunized with a Tetanus shot if their vaccination status is not current.

Those who have had a tetanus shot in the past 10 years do not need another one unless they have an open sore or wound and were exposed to the flood waters.

Those who have had a shot in the past five years do not need a shot even if they have an open sore and was exposed to flood waters.

A person has up to 72 hours to be vaccinated from time of exposure for the vaccine to be effective.

For more information contact Mistie Coovert at 761-7877.

The American Red Cross, United Way, and the Food Bank have joined forces to provide assistance from those affected by Tuesday’s flood. Anyone who needs continuing assistance should call the Red Cross at 322-8686.

Wichita County fJudge Woody Gossum requested disaster assistance from the State of Texas Tuesday, and the State will be forwarding that request to Governor Rick Perry for his approval.

This action will clear the way for assistance, however, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has not been activated at this time.

Citizens who are in the affected area are cautioned not to spend time in contaminated water, and they are urged to call 761-7459 with their names and contact numbers in order to have Building Inspection staff schedule a FEMA format evaluation.
Cleaning kits are also available at the Red Cross.