Texas Governor Greg Abbott has confirmed that five additional counties will now benefit from federal disaster assistance in the wake of recent devastating floods. Burnet, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, and Tom Green counties are included in the latest amendment to President Donald J. Trump's Major Disaster Declaration, as announced by the governor's office on July 14. This change will enable these areas to access FEMA's Public Assistance program, offering support for emergency work and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.
In addition to the newly announced counties, several other counties were previously approved for the Public Assistance program, including Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Menard, and San Saba. However, the list may still grow as authorities continue to thoroughly assess further damages. FEMA also opened its Individual Assistance program to residents in Burnet, Kerr, San Saba, Tom Green, Travis, and Williamson counties, allowing individuals to apply for help online or via phone at 800-621-3362, as stated in an Office of the Texas Governor press release.
Following this federal declaration, Governor Abbott has taken multiple steps to ensure Texas residents have the necessary resources to cope with the consequences of the floods. The last two weeks saw the governor visiting affected communities alongside President Trump and launching a Texas Flooding Emotional Support Line aimed directly to aid the mental health of those impacted. "President Trump’s approval of my request to add more counties to his disaster declaration is another critical step to get Texans the support they need to recover," Governor Abbott expressed in the Office of the Texas Governor's official announcement.
This announcement comes as the state increases its efforts to provide support and updates on ongoing flood responses. In the past days, Governor Abbott has directed the broadening of the state's disaster declaration, called for additional counties to be included in the federal disaster declaration, and launched the disaster unemployment assistance to help those whose jobs were affected by the floods. Additionally, he has overseen the deployment of emergency resources in anticipation of the flooding threat to ensure preparedness.
