Dateline: May 11, 2006

Storms bring end to burn ban but cause damage

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Fire up the barbecue grills. The burn ban has been lifted.

General rains fell over the area last week, soaking most of Donley County and slaking the thirst of fields and pastures. With the danger of wildfires reduced, county commissioners on Monday rescinded the ban on outdoor burning that had been in place since New Year’s Day weekend.

But commissioners still urged people to use caution with outdoor flames.

“The burn ban has been lifted but may be reinstated if dry conditions reoccur,” a statement from the court said. “All citizens should be aware that they are still liable if their fire causes damage to other property.”

The heaviest rain and most damaging storm came Tuesday, May 2, when 1.10” was recorded locally by Tommie C. Saye, Cooperative Observer for the National Weather Service.

About 4:30 p.m., hailstones the size of tennis balls pounded homes, cars, and other property on the west side of Clarendon, doing substantial damage. Some reports said the hail was the size of baseballs.

Hail and high winds were also reported around Lake Greenbelt, and officers with the Donley County Sheriff’s Department spotted potential tornadoes forming – one west of the lake and the City of Howardwick and another east of the Greenbelt Filter Plant. Fortunately, the funnels were short lived.

Additional rains fell Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and totaled 0.84 inches.

While the moisture has been greatly appreciated, Donley County still needs more. Last year at this time, Clarendon had received 7.38 inches, but this total for the year-to-date stands at 4.77 inches.

The lack of rain is most noticeable at Lake Greenbelt, where water authority officials say they are nearing the first trigger for their drought-contingency plan.

“We’re at 57.62 feet, and 57 feet is the first trigger,” Greenbelt General Manager Bobbie Kidd said.

If the lake drops to the first trigger, the water authority will implement a public awareness campaign and encourage water conservation. Greenbelt is now at its lowest level since 1997.

Kidd said Greenbelt received 1.40 inches at the filter plant and nearly 2.00 inches at the reservoir. He said the rain raised the lake level by about one-quarter foot.

“It helped, but it’s not enough,” Kidd said.

What did help was the lifting of the burn ban, which Kidd says has had devastating effect on lake traffic because it prohibited even Coleman stoves and barbecue grills.

“It has just totally knocked us in the head,” he said. “I don’t know if we’ll ever recover.”

Kidd said some people who came to the lake and then got tickets for grilling or campfires will never come back.