By Dawn Burleigh

Dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com

 

After the catastrophic flooding and the response from the Orange County Emergency Management Coordinator Ryan Peabody, has been invited to join Texas State of Emergency Management Chief Kidd in testifying at a Texas House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety hearing next week.

Committee hearings are a method by which committee members gather information to inform committee business.

A committee clerk asked for a local emergency management contact, in turn lead to Kidd naming Peabody.

Orange County Judge Stephen ‘Brint’ Carlton was invited when the committee determined an elected official should be invited as well.

“I am looking forward to going and thanking the State,” Carlton said. “Everyone did a great job from the first responders, the community, the citizens and law enforcement agencies, during the disaster.”

The disaster was the largest flooding event in the Sabine River history since 1884.

“It was an unprecedented event,” Peabody said. “We had a successful response to an unprecedented catastrophic event.”

During the event, no loss of life, no major injuries related to the flooding and zero looting was reported. At least 30 families were assisted with high water vehicles by first responders in high water vehicles so the families could evacuate the area.

“Throughout the process, the number one priority was life safety,” Peabody said. “So every discussion was conducted with life safety as top priority.”