Governor Abbott Issues Disaster Declaration For South Texas Flooding

Governor Greg Abbott today issued a disaster declaration for four South Texas counties impacted by rainfall and flooding that continues to affect homes, businesses, and the agricultural industry throughout the region. The counties included in the Governor's declaration are Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy. Additional counties may be added as conditions warrant.

 "Texas continues to support local communities in South Texas impacted by heavy rainfall and flash flooding," said Governor Abbott. "Today, I issued a disaster declaration for Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties to help local officials respond and to protect Texans. I thank the first responders and emergency management teams for their swift response to deploy critical resources and assistance to local communities to save lives from severe weather threats across the state, including the wildfire danger in West Texas. Texans are urged to monitor the weather, make an emergency plan, and heed the guidance of state and local officials to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown."

The Texas State Emergency Operations Center remains activated at Level II (Escalated Response) to coordinate state assistance in impacted communities. Additionally, the Texas Emergency Management Council continues to monitor severe weather threats across North and East Texas, as well as ongoing wildfire danger across West Texas. According to the National Weather Service, severe storms are forecast across large areas of North and East Texas over the weekend, with primary risks including large hail, damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and possible tornadoes. Elevated-to-critical wildfire danger persists across most of West Texas through mid-week. Texans are urged to remain alert and closely monitor local forecasts.

At the Governor’s direction, the following state emergency response resources remain engaged in support of local flooding, severe weather, and wildfire response operations:

• ‍Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1 & Texas Task Force 3): Swiftwater Rescue Boat Squads; Flood Water Boat Squads‍
• Texas A&M Forest Service (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System): Local, state, and out of state firefighters and support personnel, fire engines, bulldozers, and motor graders; federally contracted firefighting aircraft, including large air tankers, single-engine air tankers for retardant drops, air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting, super scoopers for water drops, helicopters with firefighting capability, and an aerial supervision module for aerial guidance‍
• Texas Division of Emergency Management: The State of Texas Incident Management Team to support deployed emergency response resources across the state; Incident Support Task Force and Disaster Recovery Task Force including Voluntary Agency Liaisons to support recovery efforts‍
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens, rescue boat teams, and helicopters with hoist capabilities to assist with flood rescues‍
• Texas Department of Public Safety: Helicopters with hoist capabilities, Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, and the Tactical Marine Unit to assist with flood rescues‍
• Texas National Guard: Personnel and high-profile vehicles deployed to assist stranded motorists and residents in flooded areas‍
• Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Severe Weather and Wildland Fire Support Packages, including medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles‍
• Texas Department of Transportation : Crews monitoring road conditions and assisting with road closures‍
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents and County Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs‍
• Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers‍
• Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring the state’s natural gas supply and coordinating with the oil and gas industry‍
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air, water, and wastewater monitoring in affected areas

Texans impacted by this week’s storms are encouraged to report damages to homes and businesses through the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) at damage.tdem.texas.gov. Submitting a damage report helps state and local officials assess the full scope of the disaster and determine what additional resources may be needed for affected communities. The information provided is crucial in identifying whether the state meets federal requirements for various forms of disaster assistance.

Texans are urged to stay informed, avoid driving through flooded roadways, and heed all warnings from local officials. Texans can find severe weather and flood information online at disaster.texas.gov and find all hazards preparedness tips at tdem.texas.gov/prepare.