Gov. Greg Abbott on July 14 issued a disaster declaration for 59 Texas counties as severe storms continue to threaten the state, including Caldwell County.
Declarations of disaster are issued to unlock emergency funding, activate mutual aid, and grant local leaders special legal powers to manage threats. Without an official declaration, a local government cannot easily access higher-level resources.
According to the National Weather Service, heavy rainfall across Southwest, Central, and Southeast Texas is forecast through the end of the week, leading to increased risks of flash flooding. Multiple rounds of rainfall over the same communities as a result of this weather pattern are expected to cause dangerous conditions across these areas. Texans are encouraged to continue monitoring local weather forecast information and have emergency supplies readily available.
Highlights of discussions and action taken by commissioners at the regular July 9 regular meeting include:
- Voting to leave the burn ban off at the recommendation of Caldwell County’s Office of Emergency Management. The average for Caldwell County still remainsmore than 200 points below the threshold the metric for drought conditions. Residents are reminded to burn only natural brush.
- Approving the adopted 2027 Caldwell County Appraisal District Budget.
- Appointed local pecan growerTroy Swift to the South Central Texas Water Advisory Committee to succeed Tom Goynes as Caldwell County’s representative.
- Commissioners heard from representatives of a pair of proposed subdivision developments in the county. One proposed development – Trailview Heights – would consist of 1,326 lots on about 366 acres along State Park Road near its intersection with Westwood Road and Black Ankle Road. The other, tentatively named Orinda, would include 273 lots on about 111 acres on Young Lane.
Caldwell County is alerting residents and local businesses to phishing attempts involving fraudulent emails and invoices targeting active planning and permit applicants, informing them of application status and requesting fee payments.
These scam messages may appear to originate from a Caldwell County official or a county department, but they are not legitimate.
No Caldwell County office or department will ever request payment by wire transfer, nor will they ask you to reply to an email to receive payment instructions. These are attempts by bad actors to gain access to sensitive financial information. Official fees are collected only in person or through approved county payment platforms.
Please check the sender's email address. All official County email addresses end in "@co.caldwell.tx.us." Any message sent from a different domain should be treated as suspicious. Fraudulent emails may include documents displaying the County seal or formatting designed to appear official in an attempt to mislead recipients.
If you send an email informing you of the status of an application that requests payment:
Residents and businesses are strongly encouraged to verify the legitimacy of any payment request by contacting the department directly using verified contact information from the county’s official website. Do not rely on phone numbers or email addresses provided in suspicious communications.
When in doubt, individuals may visit the appropriate county department during regular business hours to confirm whether a billing request is valid.
Caldwell County Administrative offices are currently closed in observance of Independence Day. Offices will reopen Monday, July 6.