Storm Leaves Damage; Drought Continues
Posted/updated on: September 5, 2013 at 12:30 pmLONGVIEW — Damage from a powerful, slow-moving storm that pelted much of Northeast Texas on Sunday and Monday will take a good while to clean up. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the National Weather Service reported wind speeds of 18 miles per hour with gusts of nearly 35 miles per hour at East Texas Regional Airport. Longview city officials reported the storm downed trees in 13 different locations, primarily across north Longview. Assistant to the City Manager Mary Ann Miller said crews worked over the weekend clearing debris from area roadways and would continue gathering and hauling off the debris the next few days.
The National Weather Service reported as much as three inches of rain fell on some portions of the region. While it wasnt enough to assuage burn bans in place for almost every county in Northeast Texas, it helped lower the ratings on the Keetch-Byram Drought Index. And as welcome as the rains were for some, state officials said it did not make an impact in water levels on lakes, rivers or streams.