Governor Greg Abbott today announced that he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to request that officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration join state and local partners in conducting joint preliminary damage assessments for damage sustained during an apartment complex fire in Fort Worth last week. These assessments will help determine whether Texas meets the federal thresholds for various forms of disaster assistance.
"Texas thanks our brave firefighters who battled a six-alarm fire that spread throughout an apartment complex in Fort Worth last week," said Governor Abbott. "I requested that the U.S. Small Business Administration join state and local officials to assess damages sustained by this fire. This effort will help determine whether Texas is eligible for federal disaster assistance as we continue to assist our fellow Texans to recover and rebuild."
When safe to do so, Texans affected by this apartment fire are encouraged to submit a self-reported damage survey using TDEM's Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT), which is available online by visiting damage.tdem.texas.gov. These details help officials gain an understanding of the extent of damage that occurred and aids in connecting Texans with available resources.