Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Dawn Burleigh

PINEHURST — The Board of Directors of the Sabine River Authority of Texas (SRA) has approved special funding to provide disaster recovery assistance grants to counties, municipalities, and other entities located within the Sabine River Basin that were impacted by Hurricane Laura.

Hurricane Laura made landfall in Southeast Texas on Wednesday, August 26, 2020. Impacts from the storm primarily included power loss and wind damage.

Many communities were left devastated including the city of Pinehurst.

City of Pinehurst received a $10,000 Disaster Grant from SRA on Monday.

“We want to thank Sabine River Authority and it’s Board of Directors for this grant,” City Administrator Jerry Hood said.

Disaster relief assistance funds are part of SRA’s community assistance program approved by the SRA Board of Directors to help promote the quality and quantity of services essential for the development of a viable community. In the aftermath of the storm, SRA wanted to reach out to provide assistance for some of the entities that qualify for our program and were damaged by Laura.

“The damage caused by Laura was another significant hit for many communities in East Texas that have suffered from repeated hurricanes in recent years,” stated SRA General Manager David Montagne. “SRA applauds the efforts of the local communities to rebuild and restore the necessary services they provide to their customers,” added Montagne.

Created by the Legislature in 1949, the Sabine River Authority is an official agency of the State of Texas. The Authority was created as a conservation and reclamation district with responsibilities to control, store, preserve, and distribute the waters of the Sabine River and its tributary streams for useful purposes.