How many tumbleweeds does it take to bury a West Texas town?

Nobody knows, but the residents of Wolfforth have come uncomfortably close to finding out since a recent tumbleweed “invasion” rolled in, surrounding homes, blocking alleys and streets — and overwhelming city workers struggling to free their community from the oppressive prickly balls.

Piles of tumbleweed present a potential fire hazard and officials are asking residents to exercise caution to prevent sparking a blaze.
City of Wolfforth.

“At this time, we’re not completely sure of the extent around town,” the City of Wolfforth said in a Jan. 3 news release. “Tumbleweeds are blowing in on us as we work, making it extremely difficult. Once we get the alleys passable, we will move to the streets and do what we can to help.”

Tumbleweeds are not an unusual sight in West Texas, but a collection of this size is something else.

“We are asking you to help us help you. If you are able, we need you to move the tumbleweeds away from your house so we can come through and shred them,” the city said.

Streets and alleys have been blocked off by piles of tumbleweed.
City of Wolfforth.

Besides pileups and blockages, the balls also present a serious fire hazard. A single spark could set off a “catastrophic fire,” officials warned, and even driving over a tumbleweed can be enough to start a blaze.

“Thank you for your understanding and patience as our City crews work to clear the tumbleweeds,” the city said.

Powerful winds blew them in, the city said, like a sudden blizzard of thorns and bone-dry brush.

“My neighborhood has been taken over,” a social media comment said.

“Some people get snow, we get tumbleweeds,” said another.

While some seem amused by the tumbleweed deluge, others are frustrated and worried.

“This is why we have been begging for the city’s help … and now they need our help!!!” a commenter wrote. “You have our help, but we have no way to get rid of this many tumbleweeds.”

It’s made day-to-day life a pain, resident Gabi Rue told TV station KCBD.

“You know, checking the mailbox, or going to the car, or going to run errands. You definitely have to be careful because they are pretty sharp and you’ll get a lot of splitters,” Rue told the station.

“When I got home I couldn’t get into the house, so yeah I wasn’t very happy,” Jovaan Rue, Gabi Rue’s husband, added to KCBD.

Herds of tumbleweed have caused problems before, blocking off highways and covering neighborhoods near undeveloped land, outlets report.

McClatchy News reached out to the city of Wolfforth for an update on cleanup efforts.

Wolfforth is roughly 11 miles southwest of downtown Lubbock.