Smith County officials honored Texans on Mission Disaster Relief with a Community Hero Award Thursday for work the organization's volunteer has done helping more than 100 residents clean up their properties damaged by the severe weather in late May and early June.
TXM has worked across Smith County the past three weeks. Work orders have been received from 140 residents requesting help clearing downed trees on their property, said Incident Commander Jim Lawton, of Waxahachie.
Several teams have worked to complete 100 of those work orders and will complete as many more as possible before they leave Smith County Saturday, Lawton said. Chainsaw teams from Tyler and Athens were joined by volunteers from Katy and Pittsburg, as well as from Louisiana and Arkansas.
County Judge Neal Franklin and Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore presented the group with the award Thursday morning.
“We appreciate you and the driving force behind your hard work helping the citizens of Smith County,” Franklin said.
Team members who don’t live in the area have stayed at the facilities of First Baptist Church in Whitehouse.