LLANO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Crews from the Llano County road department hauled away debris cleared out of flooded homes west of Llano on Monday. It brought relief to people like Cella Lancaster and her neighbors, who have been waiting three weeks for cleanup.
“Everybody was texting back and forth today,” Lancaster said, “excited that the trucks were here and something was actually happening.”
The county announced a company hired as an emergency contractor will help those road crews beginning Tuesday, particularly in the hard-hit area of Kingsland. This effort to clean up debris comes three weeks after historic flooding along the Llano River, which has frustrated some victims.
Llano County Judge Mary Cunningham said she understands why some are concerned that help hasn’t arrived sooner, but people should start seeing progress happen this week.
“I appreciate the patience that people have shown. I know some people have been frustrated,” Cunningham said. “We’ve gotten a lot of support, though, and a lot of positive comments from people that understand doing it right in the long run is going to be more beneficial for the county.”
She said the county wanted to be careful and conservative, hoping to secure federal funding for the cleanup. It also wanted to give some time to let the large amounts of debris dry out, which she said would make it easier for crews to remove.
“Just bear with us and know that we’re working as diligently as we can to make sure we do this right,” Cunningham said.
Llano County leaders expect to choose a permanent contractor by the end of the week to come in and really ramp up the debris removal.
