By Rita Cook
Correspondent
Texas Metro News
ELLIS COUNTY – Ellis County residents were awakened to a serious storm Saturday morning. In fact, a number of residents were certain the storm, which did serious damage in Ennis, Maypearl, Palmer and Waxahachie (as well as other locations that have not been reported to this reporter by press time) was a tornado.
Residents reported the sky being an eerie green and the onslaught of hail that one person described “like no hailstorm they had ever experienced, even in Texas.”
According to the Ennis Police Department a 42-year-old man from Midlothian lost his life as a result of the early morning storm.
Severe weather had been expected, but the magnitude of it took many by surprise in the early morning hours.
According to the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department the storms began on the west side in Maypearl, Texas, and continued along a central route toward the east side of the county.
“Ellis County experienced significant damage this morning due to a line of storms that moved through the area,” the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department reported. “So far, deputies have responded to multiple reports of overturned RVs and semi-trucks, downed trees and powerlines as well as injuries sustained by residents due to damage to their homes. Communications has reported that four people have been transported to nearby hospitals, though the extent of their injuries remains unknown. This is an active situation, and assessments are still being conducted. We will provide updates as necessary if any significant new details arise.”
By the late morning Ellis County Sheriff Brad Norman said “We are still working. We worked the RV park in Maypearl where RV’s were flipped over and folks trapped.”
Norman said his department was also assisting DPS with the flipped 18 wheelers on I-35.
Ellis County County Commissioner, Pct. 3, whose area reported significant damage said he was accessing the situation in the early morning hours. He also pointed out the bank in Maypearl had heavy damage, as well as barns including his own) and
Waxahachie City Councilmember Place 5 Travis Smith said on his FB that downtown Waxahachie had received damage and asked those who were going into downtown to use “extreme caution and avoid sidewalks with western facing windows.”
Waxahachie Fire Rescue reported at least five downed power lines.
Ellis County Emergency District 6 had also reported an “overturned house in the 2500 Blk FM 878.”
Another well-known Ellis County resident posted, “That hail storm looks like someone took a hammer to each of our vehicles.”
One resident in Palmer said a tree fell through her roof and a person on Italy Talk said there were five overturned semi-trucks at one point.
The Texas Department of Public Safety did report by 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon was finally opened on I-35 south in Ellis County. At 11 a.m. TDPS had reported the “right lane of IH 35 southbound at mile post 397 is open. All northbound lanes are open. Continue to avoid the area as the traffic back up begins to flow.”
That department also confirmed there were six overturned 18 wheelers southbound IH 35 and 1 northbound in the area of milepost 397 in Ellis County.
One member of the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department (A friend on FB whose name I will not mention due to privacy) posted to his FB friends “Have chain saw and will travel to help.”
According to the City of Ennis the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) has implemented the iSTAT Damage Survey Reporting system to assess the impact of the storm and gather crucial information about damage across the area. This will assist state and local emergency management officials across Texas identify and gain an understanding of damage during the storm.
For anyone who sustained damage in Saturday morning’s storms you can report damage to https://damage.tdem.texas.gov/, as well as your insurance provider.
