Officials thankful to dodge major storm damage
By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula
Officials in Horseshoe Bay and Cottonwood Shores expressed relief at dodging damage from the same storm system that moved through the region Monday, May 25, flooding downtown Austin and cities downstream of the Highland Lakes. Monday afternoon, broadcast news channels from Austin were advising people in Horseshoe Bay and Marble Falls to take cover from a tornado.
However, Horseshoe Bay only experienced a few instances of trees blown across two roadways because of a “straight-line wind,” said Rocky Wardlow, Horseshoe Bay assistant police chief. “We received the same information regarding a tornado, however none of our officers ever saw or reported a funnel cloud.”
The biggest concern was being inundated with a lot of water in a short time. All 22 low-water crossings in the city were closed for a few hours, although all were open by Tuesday morning, Wardlow said. “We began to reopen a few of them about 4:30 Monday afternoon. Officers continued to monitor and re-open crossings throughout the night.”
City officials were thankful.
“We are thankful Horseshoe Bay dodged the tornado and did not have major flooding issues,” said Steve Jordan, Horseshoe Bay mayor. “Our Emergency Management team was on duty prepared to respond to all calls.”
First responders did not have to respond to any emergency rescue calls, and there have been “no reports of injuries anywhere within the community,” said Bill Lane, Horseshoe Bay police chief.
“The bottom line is we were very fortunate not to have sustained any serious damage,” Lane said.
Cottonwood Shores residents also received a glancing blow.
“The only damage sustained in the city was a tree fell over on Aspen, pulling up a water line and busting it,” said Sheila Moore, city secretary and administrator.
The city’s utilities were stretched to the limit as lift stations pumped massive amounts of water, she said.
The city also dealt with closing low-water crossings.
For more, see updates online and Friday's Highlander.
