Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

During the Chambers County Commission meeting, Sheriff Jeff Nelson and County Engineer Josh Harvill commended the volunteerism that came in handy last week after the thunderstorms that left many county roads impassable.

“Their work, their effort, their ability to volunteer at all times of the night is absolutely essential when we have someone like that. So [we] just can’t thank them enough,” Harvill said.

Harvill said that though the trees have been cleared from the roads, the highway department will continue working to get them removed from the right-of-ways and disposed of. The work began last week and again on Monday. 

Thanks to the combined efforts, Nelson said, no crashes or serious injuries were reported in the county due to the bad weather.  

“So we were blessed. And when everybody comes together and works like that together, it just makes everything run so much smoother,” Nelson said. “And I just want to express my appreciation to Josh and his crew, the citizens as well as the volunteers in this county.”

Nelson said he received many calls about trees and other vegetative debris in the road, some of which had already been moved by good samaritans in the county by the time emergency services arrived.

Nelson also commended his deputies and Harvill’s highway crew for their hard work and diligence in responding to the debris as well.

“Josh’s crew had everybody on hand come out or volunteers in this county,” Nelson said. “Firefighters and our average citizens got out and did what they needed to do to clear the roads and make them safe in this county, and I appreciate them so much for everything they do.”

Harvill added that the “undeniable need for the help” of volunteers is integral to keeping the county safe. He said that many of the volunteers were able to reach parts of the county roads that the EMS wasn’t able to get to.

“So just the teamwork was another outstanding example of that,” Harvill said.