County Judge urges citizens to avoid the area while clean up continues

Gov. Greg Abbot made a declaration of disaster for Bell and Williamson County yesterday following an EF-3 tornado that ripped an eight-mile path through the area, damaging almost 80 structures.

“The   more people   we   can   keep   off   those roads   until   we   get   the   debris cleared   and   then   the   power restored,   the   faster   that   power will   be   restored   to   the   area,” Bell County Judge David Blackburn said late yesterday during a press conference on the tornado cleanup 

“Cleanup   efforts   can hopefully   work   a   little   bit more   effectively   and efficiently   when   they   have power,   especially   on   private properties   where   they’re relying   on   power   for water.   A lot   of   those   homes   in that   area need   electricity   for the   water.   So they’re without   it   at   this   time   too.”

At the time of the press conference, there were 638 power outages reported to Bartlett Electric Cooperative, the electricity provider in the area. That number has dropped considerably since then to 177 outages, according to the BEC website, as of April 14.

Asking people to avoid the area, Blackburn gave two numbers for citizens to call, one for help and one to offer help.

Blackburn said that residents who have been affected by the tornado and are   in   need   of   assistance,  can call   (254)   534-4562.

For   anyone   interested   in   making   donations   or   offering   assistance,   call   (254)-534-2217.

The phone lines will be manned 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays (except Good Friday on April 15).

The Cedar Valley tornado, as it is now called, initially touched down in Williamson County before making an eight-mile, quarter-mile wide swath into Bell County, principally in the Cedar Valley area, where it destroyed two churches (Victory Baptist Church and First Cedar Valley Baptist Church) and damaged or destroyed 61 houses. 

Blackburn reported that there were 23 injuries reported due to the tornado that swept through Cedar Valley at about 6 p.m. April 12. Twelve of those were transported to local hospitals with one in critical condition.

The National Weather Service rated the Cedar Valley tornado as a EF-3 Tornado. Blackburn said that with the registered winds of 165 mph, “if they were one mile an hour more, it would have been an EF-4 tornado. It’s the highest EF-3 tornado you can have.

Crews have been working to assess damage in an 11 mile long, 1-mile wide search area. Blackburn said that there are 106 addresses in the identified area.

“I   can’t   give   you   any   additional   information   in   terms of   how   much   damage   occurred,” Blackburn said, “if it was  total  or partial.”

Blackburn issued a Local Declaration of Emergency. “I   would   encourage property   owners   to   report   their damage….There’s   a   threshold that   we   have   to   meet statewide in   order   for those   funding   opportunities   to kick   in   for   property   owners.   So it’s   in   everyone’s   best interest   if   they’re   reported.”

You can report damage to https://damage.tdem.texas.gov

Cedar Valley Road and FM 2843 remain closed to through traffic with peace officers stationed in the area to prevent unnecessary traffic into the tornado zone.

“Numerous   roadways   were   impacted by   down   trees,   limbs,   power lines,   and   power   poles,” Blackburn said. “We’ve got TXDOT, Bartlett Electric, local government, private citizen,   all   are   out there   right   now   working   to   help clear   the   roadways   to   get   them passable   and   and   clear   the power   line   areas   so   that   power again   can   be   restored.”