GUN BARREL CITY, Texas — As rain has become a rarity in East Texas, about 100 Gun Barrel City residents came out to their local park Monday evening to beat the heat and dance in hopes of bringing on the precipitation.
The city of Gun Barrel City hosted the "Make It Rain" dance party with firefighters spraying 100 gallons of water to have fun and bring positivity back to their community.
"We live and die by the lake for economical reasons but we don't know if the 'rain dance' will bring any rain but it will give some of our citizens a little bit of relief from the heat," said Mayor David Skains. "This will give everyone a nice stress reliever and if it rains like the last time, that would be great."
According to Henderson County Pct. 2 Commissioner Scott Tuley, the Gun Barrel City area has suffered the past 60 to 90 days with little to no rain. The dry conditions have affected many in the area.
"There's a fire every two minutes it seems like," said Tonya Ingram, a local resident. "I have so many friends who's husbands are firefighters, [and] it's affected their mental [health], just everything. I have friends who have cattle, who had to sell off their cattle."
Tuley said only 100 gallons of water were sprayed in the park Monday on grass, which could potentially catch fire if someone threw a cigarette out.
'Make It Rain' event in Gun Barrel City
"So this event did not drain the city's water which is not on any water restrictions right now," Tuley said. "It's just a way to give back and promote our next event which is our July Fest this Saturday."
The city's annual July Fest will be a bit different this year due to the drought conditions in the area.
"We were going to do a big firework show but we are not [because] it's dry and we need rain. We're going to do a 100 drone live show instead for the community," said Mickie Raney, Gun Barrel City treasurer.
Raney said Monday's event was organized to give community members something fun to do.
"We got a bit backlash for not conserving water but we have not been put on (a restriction) yet," Raney said. "It's a good, positive message for the community and that's what really matters."