BEAUMONT, Texas — Some Port Arthur and Jasper County residents spent much of Wednesday cleaning up or assessing damage after a line of severe thunderstorms passed through Southeast Texas overnight Tuesday.
Now city and county governments need resident's help in assessing their damages.
During a midday news conference in front of the heavily damaged Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Port Arthur, Mayor Thurman Bartie asked residents to start reporting their damages online.
Jasper County judge Mark Allen echoed Barite's sentiments and confirmed to 12News that residents in his county should also report their damages.
The Texas Department of Emergency Management is collecting data on damages associated with storms that began on April 8, 2024, and include the storms that just wreaked havoc on Southeast Texas.
The TDEM works with cities and counties, state agencies and the federal government to help residents through the recovery process after a disaster according to its website.
When Texans, Texas Communities, and businesses are affected by a disaster, assistance may come in a variety of ways, including government and/or nonprofit, volunteer, and faith-based organizations. TDEM’s Recovery Division works closely with local jurisdictions, state agencies, and federal partners to ensure Texans successfully navigate recovery processes and become more resilient for future disasters.
Overnight storms leave damage, flooding across Southeast Texas
The storms into brought an EF-2 tornado to Port Arthur and heavy flooding to Jasper County.
By the afternoon Jasper County, Kirbyville had issued disaster declarations and Port Arthur's mayor asked residents to reprot their storm damage online.
Early Wednesday the National Weather Service issued a "Flash Flood Emergency" that lasted until 11:30 a.m. for portions of Tyler, Jasper and Newton Counties that specifically mentioned Roganville, Kirbyville and Newton.
Afterwards flash flood warnings lasted in the area tough the afternoon.