Record rainfall leaves its mark on area
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

Local bridges, small and large, were subject to the wrath of raging flood waters last week, with destruction at Hill Creek Baptist Church (above) and Yarbrough Lane.

North, south, east and west, the area was hit hard by flooding and the after-effects remain. Roads closed and areas that have never flooded did so last week as precipitation totals topped 10 inches for the first 10 days of July bringing year-to-date totals to 46.85 inches.

According to Dr. Bob Peters, June 2007 goes into the record books as the fifth wettest June since weather records began in Tyler in 1896.

North of Whitehouse the Hill Creek Baptist Church suffered damaged as their bridge was swept away by raging water during Friday morning's 3.69 inches of rain.

State highway 110 south, between Whitehouse and Troup, was closed for the majority of the day as Mud Creek spilled out of its banks and covered the roadway causing motorists to detour through Arp or Mixon to travel north or south.

To the west, County Road 2180, also known as Yarbrough Lane, remains closed to traffic. The bridge is completely washed out and no report is available as to when it might be repaired.

East of Whitehouse saw CR 2133 closed for time as water covered the road that borders the baseball park and housing developments. The Lake Tyler Marina and South Lake Grill also suffered damage due to rising water in Lake Tyler and torrential downpours of several days running.

According to Whitehouse City Manager Ronny Fite crews are still busy keeping up with washed out roads and downed trees. The FM 346 widening project as well as others have been hampered by the rain. Even the dedication of Gardenview Park has been postponed until crews can get the area cleared of debris.

The city of Tyler has lifted the boating advisory for Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East. Officials had previously issued an advisory for boaters to stay off of the lakes due to excessive debris and drastically rising water levels.

"Both lakes are now relatively free of debris, but we are still encouraging boaters to be extremely cautious," said Greg Morgan, City of Tyler director of water utilities and public works.

A very welcome patch of blue peeks through the stillthreatening gray skies Friday afternoon, signaling an end to the worst of lingering rains and flooding.

In Troup things don't appear too bad on the surface. According to City Administrator Russ Obar, several streets and areas were flooded for a brief time, but he is more concerned about what lies beneath the roadways.

"Our roads already need a great deal of attention and this rain, I'm afraid, have made for more problems down the road," said Obar.

Smith County road and bridge crews continue working to remove debris and fallen trees from roadways, repairing damaged culverts and washed out roads. Due to the extent of the damage they have had to prioritize repairs beginning with those areas requiring the most immediate attention.

Smith County Judge Joel Baker has declared the county a disaster area and is asking Gov. Rick Perry for the same consideration. Such a declaration would give the county access to aid through several state agencies. With a lessening chance for rain in the immediate forecast, officials are hoping to get ahead on repairs and looking forward to drier days.

Recent flooding rains have taken their toll on Gardenview Park in Whitehouse. The dedication ceremony set for Saturday has been postponed until city crews can repair the damage, including uprooted trees lining Blackhawk Creek.