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April 9, 2024 - Travelers on U.S. Highway 96 North and in the northern end of Shelby County should use extreme caution during the storm, and to even stay off the roads until the storm has cleared, as there are several reports of trees down in the roadway.
Editor's note: Shelby County Today has received reports of heavy weather at 3:20pm in the Timpson area, with heavy debris including bricks becoming an issue on the Timpson square.
April 9, 2024 - (Update: 3:16) - The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Western De Soto Parish in northwestern Louisiana, Southwestern Caddo Parish in northwestern Louisiana, Panola County in northeastern Texas, Southeastern Rusk County in northeastern Texas, North central Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas, Northern Shelby County in eastern Texas...
Until 4pm CDT.
At 3:11pm CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Pinehill to 8 miles southwest of Carthage to near Garrison, moving northeast at 50 mph.
Hazard: 60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.
Source: Radar indicated.
Impact: Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
Locations impacted include: Carthage, Stonewall, Logansport, Tenaha, Timpson, Garrison, Beckville, Joaquin, Deberry, Pinehill, Gary City, Keachi, Grand Cane, Longstreet, Stanley, Keat Chie, Front, Spring Ridge, Fairplay, and Midyett.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions: For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 9pm CDT for northwestern Louisiana, and eastern and northeastern Texas
A severe thunderstorm warning remains in effect until 3:30pm CDT for southwestern Panola, southern Rusk, northern Nacogdoches and western Shelby counties.
At 2:50pm CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 8 miles northeast of New Salem to 7 miles southwest of Minden to near Trawick to near Douglass, moving east at 45 mph.
Hazard: 60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.
Source: Radar indicated.
Impact: Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
Locations impacted include: Nacogdoches, Timpson, Garrison, Martinsville, Douglass, Minden, Trawick, Appleby, Mount Enterprise, Gary City, Stockman, Lawsonville, Brachfield, Arcadia, Dotson, Looneyville, and Laneville.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions: A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 9pm CDT for eastern and northeastern Texas.
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
April 8, 2024 - (Updated: 8:28) - Tornado watch 92 is in effect until 1am CDT for the following locations:
Anderson, Cherokee, Freestone, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Leon, Limestone, Marion, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Panola, Robertson, Rusk, Shelby, Smith
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for several counties in Texas until 8pm Monday, April 8, 2024.
Texas counties Included are: Anderson, Angelina, Brazos, Burleson, Cherokee, Falls, Freestone, Grimes, Houston, Jasper, Leon, Limestone, Madison, Milam, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Panola, Polk, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Washington.
April 8, 2024 - (Update: 4:22pm) - A strong thunderstorm will impact northeastern Nacogdoches, southwestern Shelby and northwestern San Augustine counties through 4:45pm CDT.
At 4:08pm CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Martinsville, or 13 miles east of Nacogdoches, moving northeast at 30 mph.
Hazard: Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.
Source: Radar indicated.
Impact: Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include... Martinsville, Neuville, Arcadia, Jericho, and Stockman.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions: If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 8pm CDT for eastern Texas.
The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Southeastern Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas, Southeastern Angelina County in eastern Texas, Southwestern San Augustine County in eastern Texas until 3:45pm CDT.
At 2:39pm CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles northwest of Rockland, moving northeast at 30 mph.
Hazard: 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
Source: Radar indicated.
Impact: Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
Locations impacted include: Zavalla, Broaddus, and Dolan.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions: For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 8pm CDT for eastern Texas.
April 8, 2024 - Notice is hereby given that a Regular meeting of the Governing body of the Shelby County Commissioners’ Court will be held on the 10th day of April, 2024 at 9:30am in the Courtroom of the Shelby County Courthouse at 200 San Augustine Street, Center, Shelby County, Texas to deliberate and consider action on the following items:
1. Approve the minutes of March 6, 2024 Special meeting, March 13, 2024 Regular meeting, March 13, 2024 Special meeting, March 20, 2024 Special meeting, March 27, 2024 Special meeting of the Shelby County Commissioner’s Court.
2. Approve and pay weekly expenses.
3. Approve and pay current Payroll.
4. Approve Officers Report.
5. Public comments on Agenda item.
6. Open quotes for Janitorial Services.
7. Discuss and possibly approve an increase in the County’s yearly contribution of $7,000.00 to the Shelby County Soil and Conservation District #449.
8. Discuss and possibly rescind the action taken in Commissioners Court on March 27, 2024, to go out for bids to replace the roof and gutters on the Courthouse Annex.
9. Discuss and possibly utilize the TIPS-USA Purchasing System to receive bids for the replacement of the roof and gutters on the Courthouse Annex.
10. Discuss and possibly approve a Purchase Contract between Shelby County and Darin Borders for pugmill sand.
11. Adjourn.
April 8, 2024 - Flood Watch now in effect from 12-noon CDT today through Wednesday evening.
What: Confidence continues to increase in a widespread flooding event beginning late today and continuing through Wednesday caused by excessive heavy rainfall.
Where: Portions of Arkansas, including the following counties, Columbia, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Sevier and Union, Louisiana, including the following parishes, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, De Soto, Grant, Jackson, La Salle, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Red River, Sabine, Union, Webster and Winn, southeast Oklahoma, including the following county, McCurtain, and Texas, including the following counties, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur and Wood.
When: From 12-noon CDT today through Wednesday evening.
Impacts: Excessive runoff will result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Additional Details: Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will begin impacting portions of the Four State Region late this afternoon, eventually becoming widespread overnight and continuing through the day Tuesday and into Wednesday. During this timeframe, excessive heavy rainfall will be likely across portions of the region. Flash Flooding will become a concern in some locations, especially across low lying and poor drainage areas. Look for widespread 4-8 inches of rainfall during this timeframe with isolated higher amounts possible.
Precautionary/Preparedness Actions: You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.
April 8, 2024 - Flood watch remains in effect from this afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for south central Arkansas, southwest Arkansas, north central Louisiana, northwest Louisiana, southeast Oklahoma, east Texas and northeast Texas.
Day One: Today and tonight - Showers and thunderstorms will increase in coverage and intensity today through tonight with some of these possibly becoming strong to severe. Large hail and damaging thunderstorm wind gusts will be the main threats, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out as well.
Excessive heavy rainfall will begin this afternoon across portions of the region with this threat becoming widespread overnight tonight.
Days Two Trough Seven: Tuesday through Sunday - Excessive heavy rainfall will continue to be a very concerning threat with possible widespread flooding across portions of the Four State Region Tuesday into Wednesday. In addition, there will continue to a severe weather threat across much of the region through Wednesday as well with large hail, damaging thunderstorm wind gusts and isolated tornadoes possible. The rainfall should taper off Wednesday Night from west to east across the region but area waterways will likely see possible significant rises with crests not expected until the upcoming weekend into early next week.
Spotter Information Statement: Spotter activation will be possible as early as this afternoon.
April 5, 2024 - The intersection of State Highway 87 North (Jacob Street) and U.S. Highway 59 (N. First Street) in Timpson was the scene of a major two-vehicle crash incident on April 5, 2024.
Emergency personnel were dispatched to the location at around 6:40pm. The Timpson Volunteer Fire Department was in the middle of a training session, less than a 1/4 mile away and responded right away. Deputy Constable John Pope was also not far off when he was dispatched to the location.
According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Joshua Gradburg, a red 2001 Toyota SUV driven by George Ray Yarbrough of Timpson was southbound on U.S. Highway 59 preparing to make a left turn onto Jacob Street when he failed to yield right of way to northbound traffic.
At that time a white 2006 Jeep driven by Dawson Wayne Snyder was northbound and collided with the Toyota when it entered the northbound traffic lane.
Yarbrough was transported from the scene by Timpson Volunteer Ambulance Service with possible injuries. No injuries were reported of Snyder.
No citations were reported issued at the time of the crash.
April 3, 2024 - Law enforcement officials report the recovery of a stolen vehicle on Saturday, March 30, 2024, in the Joaquin area on Haslam Strip.
Roy Cheatwood, Constable Precinct 3, received a call regarding a stolen black Acura at 4:30pm on Saturday, March 30, 2024, and he requested the assistance of Josh Tipton, Constable Precinct 5.
The constables located the vehicle on U.S. Highway 84 (Haslam Strip) and a traffic stop was initiated.
According to Constable Cheatwood, the driver had been seen near Smith Towing and Recovery on Haslam Strip where the Acura was parked before one of the tow truck drivers left the shop. Upon returning to the shop, the driver passed the Acura traveling west on Haslam Strip and alerted law enforcement.
The constables arrested Aaron Brazzel, 27, of Joaquin and he was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, state jail felony.
Constable Cheatwood thanked Constable Josh Tipton for assisting him in the recovery of this stolen vehicle. Constable Cheatwood encouraged residents to be aware of their surroundings at all times, and be sure to lock doors and remove your keys.
April 3, 2024 - The Texas Department of Transportation is warning drivers to take extra caution on Monday, April 8, as a total solar eclipse will be visible throughout the state from late morning to early afternoon.
As this intergalactic experience comes front and center, out-of-state visitors and Texans traveling to get a perfect view are expected. This will cause heavier traffic on major roadways. Plan for delays, longer travel times, and give yourself extra time to get to your destination before and after the eclipse.
TxDOT urges drivers wanting to view the eclipse to park your vehicle in a safe location and avoid stopping in the roadway or on the shoulder. Do not try to view the eclipse while driving. TxDOT has multiple safety rest areas and Travel Information Centers with safe places to park. Those locations and real-time traffic updates can be found at drivetexas.org.
“The Lufkin District is prepared to monitor the roadways and traffic on our major roadways throughout the day,” said Rhonda Oaks, public information officer. “We are all excited to watch this event, but safety is our number one goal, and we urge the public to also make it their goal to stay safe while driving before, after, and during the eclipse.”
The Lufkin District will also have crews traveling to assist as needed in the Bryan and Waco districts, as they are in the path of totality. Major roadways through the district that could see heavier than normal traffic are US 59, US 69, and US 96, but there could be additional roadways impacted.
TxDOT wants the traveling public to be aware of these safety tips the day of the eclipse:
- Prepare your vehicle and yourself for extra time on the road. Check tire pressure and have water and snacks in your vehicle in case of heavy traffic delays.
- Be calm and courteous on the road, slow down and be ready for increased traffic.
- Dispose of all trash in a proper trash can. Don’t mess with Texas means don’t litter.
Highway message boards are set to warn drivers not to stop on the road or park on the shoulder. For more information, visit the eclipse web page at txdot.gov.
For media inquiries, contact Rhonda.Oaks@txdot.gov or call (936) 404-7485.
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