An 11-member chainsaw group of the Deep East Texas Disaster Relief Team is working today removing downed trees from homes in Silsbee, north of Beaumont. Mike Pedigo, the TBM volunteer who is assessing damage in Hardin and Jefferson counties, said straight winds likely caused the damage last week.
The team finished one house Tuesday morning and were working midday to remove a large pine tree that fell on the house, breaking rafters. “It’s down inside the house,” Pedigo said, making it difficult to remove.
“We’re just one part of the state, and I know there are disasters all over,” he said. “But we’ll get her done.”
Pedigo said the Deep East Texas TBM team has five jobs scheduled right now in Silsbee and four more in Beaumont.
TBM is tied into Jefferson County’s iSTAT (Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool) damage database, so the team is aware of specific needs surfacing around Beaumont. In Hardin County, the county judge has provided information regarding the Silsbee area.
After completing the work (left), the team presented the resident with a Bible signed by team members.