Falls County under State of Disaster

Falls County has been placed under a state of disaster following a destructive storm that hit Marlin on Wednesday, May 27. 

It passed over Marlin around 1:15 p.m., according to official reports. 

After nearly an hour of spine-chilling turmoil, citizens emerged from their shelters to find an amass of wreckage and debris. 

During the storm, the town was hit with high winds, high water, and hail the size of a cutie orange all at once. According to a press release, the western side of the city suffered the most damage. 

There were no injuries or deaths reported. 

Along with multiple downed trees and damaged electrical lines, Marlin residents found themselves left with extensive damage to their homes, vehicles, and community.

Main Street looked to be a primary point of destruction just after the storm. Multiple windows were out in the buildings on the south side of the street, as well as downed awnings and roof damage to multiple buildings on both sides.

Flooding was recorded in multiple locations throughout the county.

The Falls County Emergency Alert System showed an impending severe thunderstorm, where the initial warning was eventually moved to a thunderstorm watch. 

Officials maintain that it was only a severe thunderstorm, but speculation remains as to whether there may have been something worse going on.

“I felt the pressure change, the temperature drop, and saw the hail,” remarked Melissa Mahoney, a downtown business owner. “As soon as I heard the sound that came with the storm, I knew it was the perfect set-up for a tornado.”

Numerous other citizens have voiced the same opinion, taking to facebook to question the weather occurrence.

Photos from before the storm show a large hole in the middle of a dark mass of clouds, which has shown to be a sign of an impending tornado.

Crops east of the Brazos look to be devastated, as some areas flooded completely, while other areas suffered such high winds that the corn crops folded in on themselves. Properties on Highway 7 show multiple areas where crops were completely uprooted, shown by haphazard areas of bare soil.

The cities of Lott, Rosebud, and Chilton were not hit anywhere near as hard, with witnesses observing a 20-minute rainshower lacking in hail. Trees were also downed, but little damage has been reported for those areas.

Reagan was hit along the lines of Marlin, with residents suffering vehicle damage, according to Jay Shults with FCEM.

The State of Disaster for Falls County will be in effect until Wednesday, June 3, unless extended by the Falls County Commissioners Court before then. The declaration may allow county residents to be eligible for state and federal assistance, under the Texas disaster Act. More information will be released as it is available.