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ROWLETT (CBS11) — In Rowlett post-storm concern is focused on a water tower.

The Martha Lane tower suffered structural damage from flying debris. Many people in neighborhoods that fell just outside the 300-foot evacuation radius felt safe from the possibility of a collapse, but some worried the water inside the tower could still pose a threat.

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Gov. Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster in Collin, Dallas, Ellis and Rockwall counties. Texas Task Force One is helping with search efforts, especially in Garland and Rowlett.

More than just a reservoir in the sky, the Martha Lane water tower serves as a welcoming city billboard. But the damage sustained by Saturday's tornado turned it into a menacing sight.

The city ordered dozens living within a 300-foot radius to evacuate their homes. The area included mobile homes destroyed in the storm.

Just outside that danger zone, homeowners in surrounding neighborhoods worried about the possibility of flooding from a sudden rush of water if the tower fell. An engineering review led to a move to carefully secure the site.

"At this point we've had an engineer who is familiar with that particular water tower assess it. Based on the damage that he saw, he was concerned enough to ask us to drain the water tower and to do additional assessment tomorrow," Rowlett City Manager Brian Funderburk said.

City leaders said draining the tower has reduced the weight of the structure, and they're confident it will not collapse, but they expect to learn more after Monday's inspections.

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