Texas seeks federal disaster aid after severe flooding across the state
Gov. Greg Abbott requested a presidential disaster declaration for 28 Texas counties on July 17 after severe weather and flooding affected communities across the state.
The request seeks federal relief for recovery and rebuilding. It is a request for federal action, not confirmation that a presidential disaster declaration or federal assistance has been approved. The materials available as of Aug. 3 did not establish whether the request had been granted.
Abbott also visited flood-damaged Uvalde County, where he surveyed conditions and met with state and local officials as Texas continued its response and assessed recovery needs.
Request follows statewide emergency response
The federal request came two days after a July 15 state briefing on the flooding response. At that briefing, Texas said more than 1,300 state personnel from more than 30 agencies had been activated, along with more than 800 vehicles, 75 boats and 20 aircraft.
Those figures described the state response at the time of the July 15 briefing. They should not be read as a final count of everyone involved in the full disaster response.
The state said it was responding to potentially record-breaking flooding and had maintained emergency operations while activating state resources. On July 15, a state disaster declaration covered 59 counties.
That 59-county state declaration is separate from the July 17 request for a presidential disaster declaration covering an initial 28 counties. The differing totals reflect different actions at different points in the response; the available information does not show that every county experienced the same level of damage.
What the federal request could mean
Texas said its July 17 request was intended to seek federal relief for communities facing flood damage and for recovery and rebuilding efforts. Whether assistance becomes available through the requested presidential declaration depends on federal action that was not documented in the provided materials.
The state said additional counties could be added as damage assessments continued. That means the initial 28-county request was not necessarily the final count of counties that could be included, and the total damage amount remained subject to ongoing assessment.
For residents and local governments, documenting damage is a central part of the continuing process. Texas directed residents to report flood damage through the state’s disaster-recovery system. Those reports can inform the continuing assessment of the storm’s effects and recovery needs.
Next steps remain tied to assessments
The immediate next steps identified by the state were continued damage assessments, continued emergency operations and the possibility of adding counties to the federal request. Abbott’s Uvalde County visit was part of the state’s effort to review conditions on the ground with local and state officials.
No final eligible-county total or statewide damage estimate was established in the available materials. Likewise, the sources do not establish an approval decision on the July 17 presidential disaster declaration request.
For now, the confirmed development is that Texas has asked for federal disaster relief for an initial 28 counties while state officials continue to evaluate flood damage across affected parts of the state.
Sources
- Governor Abbott Signs Major Disaster Declaration After Severe Weather And Flooding, Texas Division of Emergency Management
- Governor Abbott Updates Texans On Statewide Flooding Response, Texas Division of Emergency Management