Claims Pour In From Downpour Of Tropical Storm Hermine In Texas And Oklahoma By Lonce LaMon - September 13, 2010Claims for property damage are pouring in as a consequence of the torrential rains and tornados that have swept across central and northern Texas, and on into Oklahoma as a consequence of Tropical Storm Hermine.
The Insurance Council of Texas and HailWatch have closely examined the rain storms that Central Texas received on September 7th and 8th. Portions of northern Travis and Williamson County received rainfall in excess of 15 inches.
The heaviest rainfall occurred from Cedar Park northward to near Jarrell. Twelve inch rainfalls were reported in an area extending out from the area of Rollingwood northward to Salado. The entire Austin metropolitan area received a minimum of six inches of rainfall.
The National Weather Service in Austin officially recorded 7.04 inches of rain at Camp Mabry on Sept. 7th which broke the old record of 3.11 inches recorded back in 1923.
Tropical Storm Hermine continued to move northward causing flooding and spawning tornadoes in Dallas and Seagoville and on further into the farthest northern areas of Texas. The storm also spawned tornadoes in Oklahoma.
Tornadoes touched down on Sept. 8th southeast, east and north of downtown Dallas. A twister slammed a tractor-trailer rig into a brick paint warehouse near Dallas Love Field, toppling the building onto the cab and injuring the driver who was taken to a hospital. Part of a warehouse roof nearby also collapsed. No other damage or injuries were reported.
A tornado also skipped across a mostly rural area from near the town of Ferris, about 15 miles south of Dallas, to near Seagoville, about 20 miles southeast of Dallas. As the front edge of the storm moved into Oklahoma, a tornado toppled power lines, damaged a couple of homes and blew over a tractor-trailer rig on U.S. 69 near Colbert, sending the driver to the hospital. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol closed the highway so crews could clear downed electrical lines.
The storm has been blamed for at least three deaths, but searches are still underway for several people thought to have been caught in flood waters.
Texas Governor Rick Perry has declared 40 Texas counties as disaster areas, which will help speed recovery assistance to communities and families affected by Tropical Storm Hermine by opening the door to state and federal assistance, the Governor's office said.
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