Texas woman, 83, says rutted roads nearly kept ambulance from reaching her

For 83-year-old Sally Gregory, the roads near her home in Indian Springs, Texas, are more than just an inconvenience.

In April, when Gregory suffered a bleeding ulcer, the deeply rutted road to her house almost prevented emergency crews from getting to her.

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In a KPRC 2 report, Gregory's daughter, Lori Barnes, demonstrated the trip to her mother's home by creeping through mud and deep ruts at about three miles per hour. Barnes said those same road conditions also made it difficult for an ambulance to reach Gregory during her medical emergency.

Though Gregory did make it to the hospital, the experience has left her afraid of what might happen if another emergency arises.

"Well, it's more than scary because if somebody's in dire need, they can't get to them," Gregory said. "It's bad out here." 

Barnes said heavy rain from storms such as Tropical Storm Edouard makes the road even worse. KPRC 2 showed that a driver delivering oxygen to elderly residents without power struggled to get through.

Polk County maintains roughly one-third of the roads in Indian Springs, while the rest are handled by a property owners association funded by $60 yearly payments from landowners, which volunteer Tony Kelly said is not enough to cover repairs.

One YouTube user commented, "Bring in private developers. Turn it into residential neighborhoods. They can build the roads they desire."

What's being done?

Residents said more county help would come if Polk County assumed responsibility for additional roads.

That is not an easy process. Roads have to meet construction and drainage standards, pass inspection, stay in good condition for two years, and then be approved by county commissioners.

Kelly said the property owners association is doing what it can despite limited money and equipment.

"With the equipment we've got, our hands are tied,"  Kelly said. "The maintenance eats us up, the fuel eats us up, but we keep going."

Asked what could be done for low-income residents who cannot afford to upgrade roads to county standards, Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy said the issue remains unresolved.

"That I do not know," Murphy said. "I have tried for 12 years to find a solution to that." 

KPRC 2 reported that the county has applied for a grant from the Texas General Land Office to fix some county-maintained roads. But even if the grant is awarded, people who live on private roads could still go without assistance.

Kelly said, "We just need the county to say, 'Let's sit down and see what we can do to help you.' We haven't heard from anyone."

Where can I learn more?

When roads fall apart after severe weather, the damage can ripple into healthcare and basic safety. Storms can leave communities vulnerable long after the rain moves out.

• Across the United States, public infrastructure is crumbling as extreme weather outpaces long-delayed repairs.

• After major storms, hospitals see death rates climb for weeks as healthcare services falter.

• In Himachal Pradesh, India, hailstorms are still damaging crops as residents struggle through repeated extreme weather.

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