Will take Weeks to Repair Storm Damaged Park

AUSTIN, Texas - Work Crews were busy Tuesday afternoon continuing the cleanup at the Northeast Metropolitan Park.

The storm that rolled through the area early Monday morning dumped more than 5 inches of rain on the complex in 12 hours, according to park supervisor Joe Sibley. The powerful wind gust not the rain did the most damage. Fixing everything will not come cheap.

“I would say, giving you a rough estimate, cost estimate it will be about $90,000,” Said Sibley.

The storm twisted more than 30 metal goal post on the soccer field’s. A sunshade was ripped apart and massive trees were knocked down closing off the hiking trail. It’s estimated it will take about two weeks to make repairs requiring 10 soccer leagues to reschedule matches.

“For right now, we talked to the leagues and told them, and explain to them what is going on, and usually what we try to do is help them try to shuffle the schedule around, we just don’t tell them that it’s a no go, and that’s the end all be all, we just try to work with them and try to let them know ahead of time they’ll get credited for some days, and move it for later dates or something like that,” said Sibley.

A few hours before the storm hit a family festival had wrapped up at the park. The items left behind for pick up on Monday only added to the debris field. Awnings and tent were mangled. A crew up what’s left of a 16 x 16 Stage. It was tossed about 50 yards across a field.
One section is still missing. Sibley is thankful the storm did not hit during the event.

“And it was 5000 people on Saturday that came through 5000 people on Sunday so to add onto our stuff that we had in the vicinity facilities they bring their own decorations they had banners, they had trucks, they had their own vehicles, they had their own set up so to add that to the actual everything else that got thrown around,” said Sibley.

Some areas did avoid a direct hit . The softball fields and plays scapes were not damaged. They could open a few days before the soccer fields depending on the weather. The kids Splash Pad was not damaged and remains open.