Jim Wells County details damage, response after May 8 wind event; officials urge residents to file damage reports

Jim Wells County Commissioners Court, continuing a May 9 meeting on May 12, provided an update on damage and recovery work after a May 8 straight-line wind event that county officials said caused widespread property damage.

Brenda Elizondo, Texas Division of Emergency Management district chief for Region 5 (District 20, Corpus Christi), said TDEM teams validated damage assessments and reported “8 destroyed homes, 12 major, 54 minor, [and] 89 affected,” and that 63 properties had been validated. Elizondo and county staff urged residents to complete the ISTAT (damage assessment) form so the county can compile data needed to request state and federal assistance.

The ISTAT numbers matter because some federal and Small Business Administration (SBA) programs use county thresholds to determine eligibility. County staff said the SBA residential threshold is 25 destroyed/major residences; county officials reported they were “about five homes away” from that threshold but cautioned numbers could change as teams re-check neighborhoods.

The county described operational steps it had taken: teams from TDEM, Texas Task Force 1, the Texas Military Department, TxDOT, TCEQ and local partners conducted door-to-door assessments; the county opened the fairgrounds as a debris-collection point and a cooling center; the American Red Cross provided tarps, cleaning supplies, hot meals and water at the fairgrounds; and the county planned a temporary disaster information center at 601 East Main (first floor of the Bank Building) to help residents complete ISTAT entries.

“When we came in on Friday morning, we identified four different teams to assist with the damage assessments,” Elizondo said. She added that the region had deployed strike teams and state partners to validate damage for potential assistance.

County emergency management staff asked residents to separate debris by type (brush, metal, trash) and to place piles in the easement rather than the travel lane for safety and to make mechanical pickup possible. County staff also asked residents to cut long tree limbs or stumps into manageable pieces so county grapple equipment can handle them.

Patrick Thomas, city emergency management and fire chief (addressing siren questions), explained why outdoor sirens did not sound for the event: “If the National Weather Service determines that there is a tornado, you’ll see tornado warnings come out over your phones and that’s when you’ll hear the sirens. There was not a tornado at no point …; there was straight-line winds.” He said the event included sustained and gusting winds over 100 miles per hour during the storm.

Sheriff Joseph Scott Baker and multiple elected officials praised first responders and volunteers for door-to-door checks and debris removal. Baker described deputies and constables going road-by-road and walking house-to-house to ensure emergency medical needs were addressed.

County leaders said the shelter at the fairgrounds had zero occupants as of the morning update; the shelter had been converted to a cooling center for daytime use while recovery operations continue. The Red Cross remained present to distribute supplies.

Formal court action: the commissioners approved a motion to reconvene in seven days to file an extension of the county’s disaster declaration; the motion passed. County leaders said the extension would allow more time to complete damage assessments and pursue any available assistance.

What residents were told to do: contact the county emergency office for unmet needs; go to the Bank Building at 601 East Main for help completing ISTAT; separate debris by type and place it in easements (not the road); and use the fairgrounds’ cooling center and supply distribution as needed.

The county said assessments will continue, numbers may change as teams revisit properties, and officials will reconvene to consider a disaster declaration extension and any next steps toward state or federal aid.