City of McAllen staff and representatives from FEMA continued to assess damages from last Thursday's hail storm, Monday. Officials are trying to determine if the City of McAllen and its residents are eligible for federal disaster relief funds.
In an interview on talk radio station 710 KURV, Emergency Management Coordinator Kevin Pagan said an estimated 1,100 homes sustained damages from the storm's torrential rains, strong winds and hail.
"The intensity and length that this hail storm lasted was just astounding to me," Pagan said.
The extreme weather event peeled back roof tops, stripped walls, toppled signs, shattered windows, defoliated trees, killed animals and flooded neighborhoods.
Pagan said despite that, not one person was seriously injured.
Meteorologists from the National Weather Service said they found no evidence that a tornado touched down.
An estimated 6 to 8 inches of rain fell in some of the most impacted areas, overwhelming drainage infrastructure and sending water into homes.
"There was an incredibly unique aspect to this storm that was well outside the design parameters of our drainage system," Pagan said. " Is it designed to take 6 to 7 to 8 inches of rain in a 60-90 minute period? No. It simply can't absorb that amount of water in that short period of time without having the detention facilities, the inlets or the infrastructure be overwhelmed with the amount of water."
Pagan said 4-6 inches of hail and storm debris also clogged inlets, further compounding the problem.
Citizens needing individual disaster assistance can contact:
American Red Cross 956-423-0523
Affordable Homes of South Texas 956-687-6263, 1420 Erie Avenue, McAllen Texas, info@ahsti.org
City of McAllen CDBG Department 956-681-3200
Citizens with debris can place the following items along the curb in front of the home:
Green waste (brush, leaves, shrubs, etc.) in one pile
Household bulky waste (furniture, carpets, minor debris, etc.) in a separate pile
The City will make several passes through the neighborhoods in the next weeks to collect these items. We ask that residents refrain from placing these items in the alley because they will hamper the collection of the residential containers (blue and black bin).
For construction debris (roofing material, glass, window frames, garage doors, fences, etc.) the City can provide a roll-off but will charge our normal rates for this service. A roll-off container can be ordered by contacting the Public Works Department at 956-681-4000.