Sonora Relief Efforts are Coming Together and How You Can Help

SONORA, TX — The flash flooding in the city of Sonora, 77 miles south of San Angelo, had traumatic impact on the poorest parts of the city, said Sonora resident Brady Johnson. Sonora, the county seat for Sutton County, has a population of just over 3,000 residents, according to the 2010 census.

“Many of those homes have been paid off for years and had no mortgage with its requirements to carry insurance,” said Johnson, who is the president of The Bank & Trust and a board member of the San Angelo Area Foundation.

Friday afternoon, heavy rains in the region resulted in the Dry Devils River overflowing, and flash flooding, an already rain-soaked city of Sonora. The Dry Devils in one of the waterways feeding the Devils River, whose name is the result of its impassible, rapidly-rising and swift currents during rainfall.

Johnson estimated that more than 100 homes had greater than six inches of water. “Some houses are just simply gone,” Johnson said. The poorer neighborhoods sit closest to the Dry Devils River that overflowed. The usually dry riverbed runs from north to south through the center of the city. It naturally handles runoff from the higher elevations northward, towards Eldorado.

[[{"fid":"45903","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Widespread flooding on Sonora, Texas on Sept. 21, 2018 (Contributed/Sutton Co. Sheriff's Office)","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Widespread flooding on Sonora, Texas on Sept. 21, 2018 (Contributed/Sutton Co. Sheriff's Office)"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Widespread flooding on Sonora, Texas on Sept. 21, 2018 (Contributed/Sutton Co. Sheriff's Office)","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Widespread flooding on Sonora, Texas on Sept. 21, 2018 (Contributed/Sutton Co. Sheriff's Office)"}},"attributes":{"alt":"Widespread flooding on Sonora, Texas on Sept. 21, 2018 (Contributed/Sutton Co. Sheriff's Office)","title":"Widespread flooding on Sonora, Texas on Sept. 21, 2018 (Contributed/Sutton Co. Sheriff's Office)","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1"}}]]
Above: Widespread flooding on Sonora, Texas on Sept. 21, 2018 (Contributed/Sutton Co. Sheriff's Office)

Johnson recalled the previous time a similar flash flood happened in the early 1990s. But this time, he said the waters raging through Sonora, with very swift currents, were especially destructive.

The City of Sonora’s Mayor Wanda Shurley and Sutton County Judge Steve Smith were out coordinating relief efforts Saturday morning. Working with Sonora ISD’s Athletic Director Jeff Cordell, the high schools athletes, including the entire varsity Sonora Broncos football squad, are out with their pickup trucks spearheading the cleanup and hauling away debris, Johnson said.

Republic Services handles trash collection in Sonora. Republic’s municipal manager Joe Spano is sending roll-off dumpsters and trucks to Sonora Saturday afternoon to collect and haul off the debris.

Disaster Relief Fund

Funding for the relief is being coordinated through the Sonora Ministerial Alliance through the San Angelo Area Foundation. Johnson said the needs are undetermined right now, but city, county and non-profit organizations will be distributing clothing, blankets, toiletries, and food as needed during the initial stages. The cost of fixing many of the homes and businesses damaged or destroyed by water damage is also an unknown expense. The Alliance is already creating guidelines on how the money will be distributed to provide the greatest impact, Johnson said.

The St. Johns Mission Endowment, a fund managed by Sonora’s St. John’s Episcopal Church, donated $20,000 to seed the disaster fund Saturday afternoon.

The San Angelo Area Foundation staff learned how to respond to disasters during the 2011 Wildcat Fires, said SAAF’s director Matt Lewis. The funding mechanism was already in place to handle the situation in Sonora because of preplanning and procedures set years ago. Johnson added that the SAAF will cover the credit card merchant fee charges for all donations. “One-hundred percent of all donations will go towards Sonora’s disaster recovery,” Johnson said.

You can make a tax-deductible donation to the effort online at the San Angelo Area Foundation here.

Updated 3:15 p.m.

The 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Wall at Sonora volleyball games will also serve as fundraisers for the relief effort. Details here.