Bonham, TX -- City of Bonham held a press conference at Bonham City Hall on Monday, June 9 at 3:00 p.m. At least three television stations from Dallas were among those in attendance.
The City of Bonham, Texas is currently in the response and recovery emergency management stage after a severe weather event that impacted the city and surrounding areas in Fannin County on Sunday, June 8.
City Manager Sean Pate said, “We are a resilient community, we will get through this.”
“Storms hit around 10:00 p.m. last night and city crews have been working ever since,” continued Pate. He also expressed lots of gratitude for all the agencies that have responded, including Texas Department of Emergency Management, Fannin County Emergency Management, Texas Forest Service, American Red Cross, Oncor, Hammett Excavation, Hope Concrete, Brookshire’s, Minute Man Disaster Response, Texas on a Mission Christian Disaster Relief, Southern Baptist of Texas.
Pate said they are still in the assessment phase. He expects that clean up efforts will take a few more weeks. Pate said the center and eastern parts of Bonham were hardest hit.
Pate is hopeful that power will be completely restored across town by tomorrow afternoon. Many local businesses were closed on Monday due to lack of electricity.
“We are extremely lucky that this was not worse,” said Pate. "No confirmed causalities. No confirmed injuries."
Pate said this was the worst wind damage he has seen in the ten years he has been the city manager of Bonham. Many local residents also said they have not seen damage like this in Bonham in many years.
Pate said that the fallen trees are the most problematic. Many of the fallen trees are over one hundred years old and very large, making it difficult to clear them. The trees have ripped down power lines and landed on homes and businesses. High winds ripped off roofs and broke windows.
Braum’s on Highway 121 lost a significant portion of their roof for the second time this year. Nearby Finley Oates Elementary also lost a significant portion of its roof.
Pate expects that it will take a few weeks to clean up all the storm debris. The priority is to clear roads and restore power. The city will soon open up some places where folks can haul debris to.
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Volunteers - Individuals, businesses and other groups that want to volunteer with clean up efforts, should go to the downtown Fire Department at 220 East Fifth Street to get registered.
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Tree, Shrub and Storm Damage Debris – The Forestry Service, along with City crews are currently clearing debris. City of Bonham residents can drop off tree, shrub and storm debris (vegetation only) to the Silo Road Dump Site starting Wednesday, June 11 at 2040 FM 87 from 7 am to 3 pm. No metal and no trash. The city advises that folks should be prepared to show their driver’s license and proof of city residence.
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Street Closures – Center Street between 13th and 15th will be closed for the remainder of Monday to allow crews to repair the downed power lines. Other city streets are closed due to fallen trees and fallen power lines.
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Trash Service – For Bonham residents who put out their trash on Sunday evening, Sanitation Solutions has started picking up trash as the debris from the roads is being cleared. If trash is not picked up Monday, residents are advised to keep their trash cans out, as it will get picked up sometime between now and Thursday. Sanitation Solutions will NOT pick up tree and shrub debris. Those who lost their polycart in the storm, should bag their trash and leave at the curb.
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Electricity – At last report, 2700 residents are still without power. Oncor will continue to have crews working around the clock until power is restored for everyone. To report a downed power line, call (903) 421-2770. Please note that Oncor has called in contractors that may be in unmarked trucks.
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Free Ice Station and Meals – Brookshire’s at 2228 Island Bayou in Bonham will have an ice truck distributing free ice starting at 3:30 pm on Monday until supplies last. They will also have a free meal starting at noon on Tuesday, June 10 while supplies last.
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Solicitors – The city staff advised that people will be out soliciting for business, such as roofers, tree trimmers, insurance adjusters, etc. and residents should ask the solicitors to show their official city of Bonham solicitors badge, as they must be registered with the permits department. If they cannot show the badge, they should be directed to City Hall. If anyone claims to be a representative of FEMA, they are not. Please contact the Fannin County Office of Emergency Management at (903) 328-7505 and report anyone claiming to be from FEMA.
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Fannin County Judge Newt Cunningham attended the press conference at Bonham City Hall. He stated, “We are lucky, this storm could have been much worse. There are no fatalities and no injuries that we know of yet.”
Cunningham had high praise for all the county crews and others who are working diligently. He noted that many have been up all night.
Cunningham remarked that the city of Bonham was in the center of all the storm damage.
Cunningham said that Brian Brockett, District Chief from Texas Department of Emergency Management and Troy Hudson with Fannin County Emergency Management have each been up all night, coordinating efforts with the city and other organizations working to clear the roads, restore power, etc.
Cunningham was also grateful to Keith Mumaw and other ham radio operators who have been working on the storm response, too.
