Storm systems that plowed through the area Friday spared Snyder and Scurry County for the most part, but other communities in the area reported heavy rainfall and, in some instances, hail and tornadoes.
Snyder Primary School students returning from a field trip to Abilene Friday had a bit of a scare when many received mobile alerts on smart phones about a tornado touching down south of Dyess Air Force Base.
However, the reported tornado was nowhere near the buses, Snyder ISD Director of Operations Clay Cade said.
“They were on their way back when the alerts went off as they were coming through Merkel,” Cade said. “But they were not in the storm at the time. They had already passed through the storm as they went through Abilene. I talked to the bus driver, and he said they were never in any sort of danger.”
The buses arrived back in Snyder early Friday afternoon.
Cities along Interstate 20 received heavy rainfall Friday, according to reports.
In Colorado City, heavy rain caused flooding in the city’s park on the east side of town, and there were unconfirmed reports of flooding near Lake Colorado City, as well as unconfirmed reports of a funnel cloud in the area, according to Stephanie Perez, editor of the Colorado City Record.
A spokesman at the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado City said the community received more than three inches of rain during the early morning hours Friday.
The heavy rain caused low-lying roads to flood and three reports of stranded motorists were received. No injuries were reported.
Lake Colorado City rose to 47.9 percent of capacity with the rain. One week ago, the lake was 44.7 percent full, according to the Water Data for Texas website.
Sweetwater, meanwhile, received more than three inches of precipitation Friday, according to the West Texas Mesonet website.
Some parts of the town were without power Friday morning as a transformer blew near Southeast Elementary School. Sweetwater residents also reported hail that caused damage to vehicles.
Officially, Snyder received 0.05 of an inch of rain early Friday.