Governor Greg Abbott announced Sept. 2 that he has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to request that officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration join state and local partners in conducting preliminary damage assessments in Bexar County communities hit by severe storms in August.
According to the governor’s office, the assessments will help determine whether the state meets the thresholds for federal disaster assistance.
“Texas will deliver every necessary resource to Bexar County after the August storms,” Abbott said in the Sept. 2 release. “I directed TDEM to request the SBA join state and local officials for preliminary damage assessments. These assessments will determine whether Texas meets the threshold for federal disaster assistance. Texans who sustained damage to a home or business are encouraged to report it through TDEM’s iSTAT survey.”
State officials said they continue to review disaster damage information self-reported by Texans through TDEM’s Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool survey following the late-August severe weather. Affected Texans are urged to report storm damage at damage.tdem.texas.gov, according to the release.
The governor’s office said submitting a damage report helps state and local officials assess the full scale of the disaster and determine what additional resources may be needed in impacted areas. The information also helps identify whether the state meets federal requirements for various forms of disaster assistance, the release said.
The outcome of the joint assessments will determine whether Bexar County residents and businesses become eligible for federal recovery aid.