Daily Progress, Jacksonville, TX

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July 11, 2007

County seeks disaster relief

By Raymond Billy

assistanteditor@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Cherokee County Judge Chris Davis has asked that the county be declared a disaster area. That means residents of Lake Jacksonville and others who sustained monetary losses due to flooding could be granted financial relief.

“We need to file paperwork detailing the damage to Jacksonville,” said Rodney Kelley, Jacksonville's director of emergency management and fire chief.

“Anyone with any abnormal costs related to recent storms should let me know so I can include it in the report.”

Jacksonville citizens can contact Kelley at 903-586-7131. Outside of Jacksonville, call County Commissioner Moody Glass at 903-586-5811.

Once paperwork is completed, it will be included in the overall county report, which will be sent to Gov. Rick Perry’s office. From there, Perry may petition the Federal Emergency Management Agency for federal disaster aid.

So far, 17 Texas counties have been granted the disaster relief designation: Cooke, Coryell, Denton, Grayson, Lampasas, Tarrant, Archer, Bell, Burnet, Eastland, Hood, Parker, Starr, Victoria, Webb, Wichita and Williamson counties.

In the meantime, Jacksonville is doing its part to help citizens clear the ruin left by recent storms. Allied Waste Services has already sent dumpsters to Lake Jacksonville. Now the city will provide lake residents with two 30-yard dumpsters to speed the cleaning process along, City Manager Mo Raissi said. Those dumpsters will be available no later than today.

Lake Jacksonville is still closed, however. After surveying the lake Tuesday afternoon, officials determined that it would be pointless to allow revelers back on the lake, only to have to close it again if it rains in the next couple of days.

The lake is still six inches above normal level. At that level, waves caused by boaters, for example, wouldn’t pose a threat to people's homes, Raissi said. But, with forecasters seeing a 30 percent chance of rain Tuesday night and a 40 percent chance tonight, the lake could quickly swell again, according to Raissi.

Citizens with boats already on the lake can move them for safe-keeping down to Concession No. 1 on Byrd Road.

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