Governor Greg Abbott announced that the federal government has updated President Donald Trump’s major disaster declaration following the July severe storms and flooding that impacted communities across Texas to include Grimes, Live Oak, McMullen and Schleicher counties for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program, according to a Sept. 25 news release from the governor’s office.
The addition brings the total number of counties approved for FEMA’s Public Assistance program to 23: Bandera, Crockett, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Gillespie, Grimes, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Live Oak, Mason, Maverick, McMullen, Menard, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Uvalde, Val Verde and Zavala counties, the release said. FEMA’s Public Assistance program includes assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities, and additional counties may be requested as updated information becomes available, according to the governor’s office.
“I thank President Trump for his approval of disaster assistance for four additional Texas counties,” Abbott said in the release. “Grimes, Live Oak, McMullen, and Schleicher counties now have the federal aid they need to rebuild. Texas will deliver every available resource to communities hit by the July storms and floods.”
The governor’s request for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program covering 30 affected counties remains pending, as does a request from Texas to authorize additional FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program resources statewide, the release said.
The announcement is the latest in a series of actions Abbott has taken to direct resources to communities affected by the July severe storms and flooding, according to the governor’s office. Those actions include requesting federal disaster assistance for additional counties, securing approval of the underlying major disaster declaration, and announcing the extension of SNAP replacement benefits for Texans affected by the flooding.
The governor’s office said Abbott also amended the state’s disaster declaration to include additional impacted counties and provided updates in Cotulla and Uvalde on the state’s emergency response in affected areas. At the height of the flooding threat, Abbott issued a state disaster declaration, increased the readiness level of the Texas State Emergency Operations Center to 24-hour operations at Level II, or escalated response, and activated additional state emergency response resources as heavy rainfall and flash flooding threats continued, according to the release.