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High Winds Cause Property Damage
By Alice Gilroy Emergency personnel were called into action, Tuesday night, April 15, to deal with a ferocious storm that blew into the South Plains. In Floyd County high winds caused property damage and injuries. Winds clocked at 63 mph at the Floydada Airport brought fierce blowing dust, rain, hail, and dangerous "down drafts". Roofs were ripped off of Adams Well Service in Floydada and a Lockney trailer house. The new metal on the roof of the cafeteria at the Plains Baptist Assembly was also blown off. Two people were slightly injured when the 18 wheeler they were traveling in was pushed over by winds. The home of Travis Gentry, in the Lakeview Community, was hit hard by winds which broke off the top of his chimney, blew out a plate glass window, a plexi-glass window in the door and then popped out the east wall of the den about 2-3 feet. "We can see our flower bed from inside the house now," said Gentry. A large tree was also uprooted at the Gentry home. Nine telephone poles in front of the Gentry house were snapped and 8 more poles behind the house were broken. According to Lighthouse Electric Member Services Advisor, Larry Ogden, the storm took out 40-50 distribution line electrical poles and 3 big transmission lines south of South Plains. "The poles were taken down all over our system--Plainview, Crosbyton, Petersburg, Memphis, and Floyd County," said Ogden. "The worst appeared to be in the Lakeview Community." At the Plains Baptist Assembly the new roof of the cafeteria, recently put on by the Texas Baptist Men Camp Builders and Campers on Mission volunteer groups, was ripped off. "I am relatively certain this was a tornado," said Camp Director Stephen Dean. "My wife, Debbie, heard a train sounding noise for a period of about 7 minutes and the way this damage material is twisted seems to me to indicate something more than straight winds. "We had just converted from an aggregate flat roof to a new 4/12 pitch metal roof," said Camp Director Stephen Dean. "A conservative estimate of the cost of the damage would be in the vicinity of $30,000 - $40,000. This is a lot of money to a church camp." Besides a new roof, PBA also lost valuable trees. "We also lost giant 80 foot cottonwoods that will be years in replacing," said Dean. Emergency personnel were called to the scene of an overturned 18 wheeler, 9.2 miles east of Floydada, at 6:47 p.m. "The 18 wheeler was headed west," said DPS Trooper Marty Lucke, and the wind knocked it over." "The occupants were very fortunate. When the trailer blew over the cab and trailer slid down the ditch. It came to rest after hitting a telephone pole at the cab's windshield and another pole against the trailer. The driver and passenger received minor injuries. They were taken to UMC in Lubbock where they were treated and released." "I tend to think the worst damage was caused by down drafts," said Floydada Fire Chief Carroll Sims. "There are tornadic wind speeds in those down drafts."
TRAVIS GENTRY STANDS IN FRONT OF HIS HOME THAT WAS DAMAGED BY HIGH WINDS on Tuesday, April 15. The winds blew over the chimney and a large tree. It also broke out windows and shoved out the side of his house (right in picture) so far that Travis andhis wife can now see their flower bed inside their home.
All the planning for Floydada's Emergency Preparedness Center paid off Tuesday night, April 15, when high winds blew into the city causing property damage and injuries. Emergency personnel train continuously for such scenarios, and Floyd County residents are well taken care of with the joint efforts and close working relationship of EMS, police and fire departments. To help these agencies stay in touch with each other during emergencies and to work closely together to warn citizens of impending bad weather an Emergency Preparedness Center has been built in the basement of the Floydada Fire Department. The Center has a dispatch station, a computer monitor linked up to the National Weather Service, a TV to monitor local weather reports, and a computer that monitors barometric pressure, wind speed, temperature, rainfall, and humidity. Even though the 12 x 22 room is in the basement of the Fire Hall, Fire Chief Carroll Sims stresses that the room is not a local "storm shelter". "This room is not big enough to cram people into. We use it for emergency dispatching and we can't work with the room packed with citizens." "We have had to turn people away when they came here during a tornado alert," said Safety Officer Craig DuBois. The Emergency Preparedness Center has its own communications with fire, police, and Sheriff's Department. "We have our own dispatcher," said Sims. "In the event of an emergency, such as a tornado, we will have a person taking calls from NWS, and a police officer communicating with the police departments and the Sheriff's office. "There will be one radio dedicated to police. Another radio will be dedicated to the fire department. City employee units will also have a radio dedicated to them." According to Sims, when a tornado watch is issued, a Phase I alert will be implemented. "During Phase I, we will page our volunteers and spotters to be on standby," said Sims. "If the storms develop and are moving toward us we go to Phase 2. We start emergency generators and check all of our equipment. "Phase 3 is implemented if the storm is in an adjacent county and moving in this general direction. We send out spotters and call all the people we need into the Emergency Operations Center to monitor the storm. We stay until the storm clears." Tornado warnings are given to the city residents by way of a long blast of a tornado siren. The local radio station, KFLP, will also carry the warning. Soon the EOC will also be able to send out warnings on cable T.V. in Floydada. "This can already be done on cable T.V. in Lockney," said Sims. According to Sims emergency personnel are trained by the National Weather Service every year. "Because of the work we have put into the EOC we will soon be recognized as a "Storm Ready Community," said Sims. "There are only 4 Storm Ready Communities in the Panhandle (including us), and only 17 in the State of Texas." Renovations Now Underway At Floydada Airport By Darwin Robinson The Floydada airport has been officially closed since April 7th due to renovations on the main runway, according to Mitch Probasco, Airport Manager. Probasco is the owner/operator of Probasco Flying Service and is the Fixed Base Operator (FBO) at the airport. He handles all fuel sales to aircraft landing there. Probasco said, "We have a temporary dirt strip available to the locals based here, or anyone else flying in, which runs parallel to the runway being worked on. "How it works is, 'at your own risk,' because most insurance policies must have a 'dirt strip' clause in them, or you are not covered in case something happens. There are big yellow 'x's' at both ends of the runway being renovated to warn planes coming in," said Probasco. Construction is being done by Kanza Construction from Kansas. The asphalt should be applied around the first week of May and the airport should be opened back up in June, according to Probasco. The old dimensions of the main runway was 50 feet by 3700 feet and the new runway will be 60 feet by 4600 feet. "When this new runway opens up, it should service a bigger variety of airplanes than what we have serviced in the past," said Probasco. "Some of the small corporate jets should be able to come in here. I am not sure though. I do know the small turboprops airplanes should be able to come in here with no problems. "Some have not come in here because of the length and width of the old runway. One KingAir 350 aircraft did not come in here last winter because we did not have instrument approach. Whenever the renovations are completed and we open back up, in the near distant future, we should have instrument approach," concluded Probasco.
Caprock Hospital District Board Buys New Ambulance By Darwin Robinson The Caprock Hospital Board District met Tuesday, April 15, and approved the purchase of a new ambulance for Floydada EMS. Board President Tom Farris said, "$30,000 has been donated for the new ambulance by the Martha Ann Cogdell Trust and a $35,000 grant is to be received for the ambulance. The Caprock Hospital Board approved to pay the remaining $42,791 needed to purchase an up-to-date Advanced Life System (ALS) new ambulance for the Floydada EMS. "The total cost of the new ambulance is $107,791 and it should be delivered in 90 days," concluded Farris. In other matters, the board approved $321.17 in Indigent Health Care Claims. A contract with Floydada Economic Development Corporation (FEDC) was approved by the board. This is regarding the receiving and dispersing of grant funds being received by FEDC following CHBD sponsorship on the grant. Farris gave reports concerning the Floydada EMS and the Physicians Network Service PNS Cogdell Clinic. "The EMS was not quite so busy in March with only 34 runs. The Cogdell Clinic is showing to be self-sufficient at the current rate of activity seen during the First Quarterly Profit Report," said Farris. Those present for the meeting were Board President Tom Farris; Board Members, Denice Payne, Kyle Smith, Rex Lawson, Jeffrey Johnson; Cogdell Clinic Office Manager Maybelle Monreal; EMS Director Paul Moore; and Paul Acreman of PNS.
Obituaries GABRIELE ANDERSON Rosary services for Gabriele "Elli" Anderson, 77, of Floydada were held at 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 18, 2003 at Moore-Rose-White Funeral Chapel in Floydada. Graveside services were held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 19, 2003 at Floyd County Memorial Park. Dr. David Jones officiated. A memorial mass was held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, April 21, 2003 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Floydada. Father Philip deFreitas, celebrant. Arrangements were under the direction of Moore-Rose-White Funeral Home of Floydada. Mrs. Anderson died Wednesday, April 16, 2003 at her residence. She was born on June 20, 1925 in Wiesenfelden, Germany to the late Dr. Rudolf Engler and Mathilda Fischer Engler. She married J. C. Anderson on October 18, 1949 in Munich, Germany. He preceded her in death on January 27, 1992. After she moved to the United States, she lived at several Air Force Bases and in Massachusetts for seven years before moving to Floyd County in 1959. She was a homemaker and a farmer. She was a member of the Razzle Dazzle Reds Chapter of the Red Hat Society, Cosmopolitan Club, 1950 Study Club, Scottish Club and German Club. She volunteered with Impact and Spirit of Sharing. Survivors include two daughters, Patricia Angela Porter and husband, Tom of Seymour and Christinia Engler Gibbens and husband, Don of Irving; one brother, Rudolf Engler and wife, Marianne of Memmingen, Germany and five grandchildren, Kevin Porter, Matt Porter, Jake Gibbens, Donny Gibbens and James Gibbens. The family suggests memorials to the American Cancer Society, 3411 73rd Street, Lubbock, Texas 79423 or to Floyd County Library, % Judy Dunlap, Route 3, Box 93, Floydada, Texas 79235. ALINE BRADLEY Funeral services for Mrs. Aline Bradley, 79, of Tyler, were held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, April 21, 2003 at the Burks Walker Tippit Funeral Home Chapel. Dr. Mike Massar, Dr. Ronald Prince and Reverend D.C. DuBose officiated. Burial was held in the Rose Hill Cemetery. Arrangments were under the direction of Walker Tippit Funeral Home. Mrs. Bradley died Saturday, April 19, 2003 in Tyler. She was born on September 14, 1923 in Palestine to the late Claude Webster Denson and Minnie Lee Spray Denson. She was a Tyler resident for the last six years after moving from Plainview where her husband, Dr. Floyd C. Bradley, was director of the Caprock Plains Baptist Area for 14 years before retiring. They previously lived in Floydada and Denver City. She was a homemaker and a pastor's wife. She was faithful in all church activities and in serving her Lord. She was a member of the First Baptist Church. Survivors include her husband, Dr. Floyd C. Bradley; a son and daughter-in-law, Dale and Tammy Bradley of Lubbock; two daughters and sons-in-law, Phyllis and Gary Hext of Frisco and Ellen and Jay Green of Tyler; a former daughter-in-law, Janice Bradley of Arlington; two brothers, Herman Denson of Palestine and Vernon Denson of Calvert; a sister, Faye Walling of Palestine; nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The family suggests memorials to the Building Fund of First Baptist Church of Tyler, Hospice of East Texas or to the Alzheimer's Association in Tyler. ARTHUR S. BROWN Graveside services for Arthur S. Brown, 91, Lockney were held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, April 21, 2003 at the Lockney Cemetery. Reverand Nathan Mulder officated. Burial was under the direction of Moore-Rose-White Funeral Home of Lockney. Mr. Brown died Friday, April 18, 2003 at the Covenant Hospital in Plainview. He was born on May 12, 1911 in Henrietta to the late Charlie Haywood Brown and Alice Wedmore Brown. He graduated from South Plains High School and married Mary Nell Calahan on September 29, 1934 in Silverton. He was a veteran of the United States Army having served in World War II. He was an owner of a gas station in Lockney until he moved to Plainview where he managed a Fina station for many years before retiring in 1986. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Lockney. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Nell Calahan in 1986. Survivors include one daughter, Karen Lindeman of Kress; one brother, Carl Brown of Corpus Christi; one sister, Ruth Roberson of Plainview; one grandson, Chris Cooper of Lubbock; one granddaughter, Ciindy Stanford of Plainview; one great-granddaughter, Hannah Stanford of Plainview and two great-grandsons, Dustin and Calahan Stanford of Plainview. The family suggests memorials be made to the First Baptist Church of Lockney, 401 S. Main, Lockney, Texas 79241. DEWITT L. DAVIS Funeral services for Dewitt L. Davis, 45, of Spiro, Oklahoma were held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 11, 2003 at the First Baptist Church. Reverend Ed Marks and Raymond Lee Davis officiated. Burial was in the Old Cache Cemetery under the direction of Mallory Funeral Home of Spiro, Oklahoma. Mr. Davis died Friday, April 11, 2003 in Spiro, Oklahoma. He was born January 11, 1958 at Keota, Oklahoma to Raymond and Anna Lee Harris Davis. He was a member of Memorial Baptist Church of Hackett, Arkansas. He was an employee of Whirlpool for 26 years. Survivors include one step-daughter, Amanda Sue Pearce of Kansas; two sons, Kaleb Tyler Davis and step-son, Robby Tran, both of Spiro; two sisters, Joyce Marks of Lockney and Sharon Baxter of Panama, Oklahoma; three brothers, Raymond Lee Davis of Hackett, Arkansas, Billy George Davis of Cameron, Oklahoma and Jesse James Davis of Spiro; and his mother, Anna Lee Davis of Spiro. OFFIE VIOLA WISE Graveside services for Offie Viola Denton Wise, 94, of Amarillo, were held at 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 21, 2003 at the Floydada Cemetery. Pastor, Mike Holster officated. Burial was under the direction of Moore-Rose-White Funeral Home of Floydada. Mrs. Wise died Saturday, April 19, 2003 at the Hospice Inpatient Ward of Amarillo. She was born on October 11, 1908 in Crowell to the late Sam Denton and Mary Thomas Denton. She married Cargile H. Wise on March 1, 1926 in Paducah. They lived in Floydada since 1934 until they moved to Amarillo in 1993. She was a member of the First Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and two sons, C.H. and Denton Wise; one sister and one brother. Survivors include three daughters, Mona Wise of Amarillo, Mary Caffee of Green River, Utah and Irene Grabber of Amarillo; two brothers, J. P. Denton of Midland and Leroy Denton of Lubbock; three sisters, Mattie Cross of Kerrville, May Compton of Alba and Jo Zammit of Burbank, California; four God daughters, Peggy Sprang, Renee Lax, Kathy Lax and Robin Lax; three God sons, Peter, Jim and Darelle; a special care-taker, Connie Duncan; two grandsons; three granddaughters; three great-grandsons and one great-great-granddaughters.
by Alice Gilroy
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by Ken Towery
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HIGH
WINDS RIPPED OFF THE METAL ROOF OF ADAMS WELL SERVICE, APRIL
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