Ibarra welcomed us as we were the first to arrive to her home just before Justin Horn of KSAT-12 News arrived to document the damage.
She also added that they had lost power since 11:30 P.M.
According to Carrizo Springs Finance Director, Don Nicolas Cardona, the city had been without power all night and through the morning, "City Hall sustained damage to the front windows, fortunately there are no reports of casualties," he said, "I looked out and saw the moon, before I knew it was upon us. It came and went in 25 minutes, then the skies were so clear, you could see every star in the sky."
All along 4th and 5th Streets, traffic flow was diverted to alternate routes as traffic lights were down and assistance came from all municipal workers, the County and even from US Border Patrol agents who were on hand to help direct traffic and assist residents however they could.
"We'd like to extend our thanks to the employees of all entities and agencies who have been up and working since 2:00 A.M. including the County, Judge Francisco Ponce and the US Border Patrol," stated Mario Martinez, City Manager who was in Galveston at the time of the storm, but was gracious enough to receive us at his office around noontime, "AEP came out and has been working tirelessly for hours, as electricity poles were snapped like toothpicks and thrown all over the city. We had live wires and other dangerous debris scattered everywhere. We've been checking lift stations and the sewer plant as well. Our workers on call sent out the alarm to all city workers as Public Works Director Ruben García and his crews have been on our streets all night."
The force of the winds had left light poles suspended in trees in and around the Dimmit County Memorial Hospital where Ricky Reyes informed The News Gram that the roofs of the clinic adjacent to the hospital had also been ripped off and strewn to the side of the building.
We visited the Camino Real Mental Health facility which was hit the hardest as water had flooded most of the interior of the building and its roof had been literally ripped off from the structure where Eagle Pass' Jason Gonzalez assessed the damage, "I was informed of the storm at 7:00 A.M. this morning and I was not prepared for what I've seen," said Gonzalez who led our photographers inside the building as you could see the light of day from inside.
Businesses all over the city were closed as traffic lights came back on at about 1:57 P.M. and a sense of some normalcy was seen back on the streets while crews worked to clear downed trees and other large debris from the roads.
In all the Pizza Hut, the local bank, the old fire station had its tar roof ripped from the structure and the hospital among other businesses and homes sustained the bulk of the damage from the winds, which seemed to take a direct path in a north by southwesterly approach through the heart of the community.
It will be a night not soon forgotten in the community of Carrizo Springs.