As East Texas and six nearby states gird for the weather activity that just passed though our area, San Marcos, Wimberley, and areas along the Blanco River and other low-lying Hill Country are digging out from early-morning flooding.
First and foremost:
FOR THOSE IN NEED
(INFO & ASSISTANCE)
• ATX Floods for areas in flood emergency and flooded low-water crossings
• Hays County Emergency Information Page for the latest on what’s happening in Hays Co.
• Weather.com‘s page dedicated to this event
• Texas Storm Chasers
• Central Texas Chapter of the American Red Cross
• Red Cross’s Safe & Well Registry to check on loved ones or to register yourself to assure loved ones searching for information on your safety
TO VOLUNTEER OR OFFER ASSISTANCE
• Donate to the Red Cross
• Donate to the United Way
• Donate to Austin Disaster Relief
• VolunteerTX.org is the main portal to sign up to volunteer your time and muscle to help folks in need. Once the Texas Conservation Corps at American YouthWorks sets up the site page specific to this event, volunteer registration will open. Keep checking back at their site and here on our blog.
The Chronicle‘s Nina Hernandez was in San Marcos today, checking on the status of some kin affected by the storm. She went by the San Marcos Activity Center on Hopkins, which has been set up for post-flood triage.
“Right now, we’re in rescue mode and will stay in if it rains again,” said Lisa Morris, a manager at the center, pulling in extra duty to assist neighbors in need.
“Everything for Memorial Day in San Marcos is canceled,” she added. The staff is keeping an eye on current conditions. More rains are predicted.
The center is the evacuation shelter for the area. Food, water, basic shelter, a place to shower, and animal services are available to anyone in need. Staff are arranging cots and bedding for tonight. They’ve even brought in a projector to air family-friendly fare to keep the kids calm.
Area franchises have brought in donations. Starbucks has donated coffee, and Walmart sent over 100 towels and other supplies, while their store stands closed, “flooded and mudded,” according to a rep at the center.
EMS and Salvation Army are set up for basic triage and rescue, and the Red Cross will begin their voucher program (hopefully within the next day or two) to assist folks in rebuilding and rebooting with supplies, dry goods, clothing, etc., once the center official switches over from “rescue” to “recovery” mode after the weather settles down and they can fully assess the scope of needs.
“When you open a shelter,” said Morris, “the goal is to close it as quickly as possible. We want to be here to assist, but shelters are not the long-term solution.”
In Wimberley, Wimberley High School has been set up as the local evacuation and services center.
The women over at Abundance – A Hill Country Retreat were lucky. Although the property is located on Cypress Creek, the resort suffered no damage. “We lost a couple of chairs along the creek, but did not flood. Downtown, however, is flooded, and some bridges washed out,” according to Tina Sabuco and Shellye Arnold, who own and operate the popular vacation rental spot.
Chris Sheffield, deputy director at American Youthworks, lives in the small artist hamlet. “I’m on a hill and didn’t see the effects until this morning,” he said. “We’re all OK. I checked in on friends, and there sure are some stories, but we’re all well.”
The team from Texas Conservation Corps is just getting back from the event in Van, Texas, where they managed the volunteer center after devastating tornado damage there.
“The request came in [from the state] a few minutes ago,” Sheffield said. The group will again be in charge of volunteer management in the aftermath of a major Texas weather event.
Stay tuned. We’ll be updating these stories and offering info on more ways you can help over the next few days.
This article appears in May 22 • 2015.