Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved his request for a disaster declaration for Southeast Texas communities affected by severe weather and tornadoes in December. The declaration covers several counties: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller, and Wharton.

“The State of Texas continues working to provide Texans in Southeast Texas available resources and support to recover from tornadoes in December,” said Governor Abbott. “With this disaster declaration, qualifying Texans will be able to access crucial financial assistance so they can rebuild homes and businesses from any damage caused by the tornadoes and severe weather. I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for working with our federal partners to ensure impacted Texans have the resources they need to move forward.”

The SBA is offering its Home Disaster Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. These programs provide low-interest loans to homeowners, renters, and businesses in the affected areas following last month's storms.

Applicants can apply online at sba.gov/disaster or contact SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or via email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can dial 7-1-1 for telecommunications relay services. Completed applications should be sent to the U.S. Small Business Administration's Processing and Disbursement Center in Fort Worth.

Governor Abbott is continuing efforts to support local communities impacted by December's severe weather by activating state emergency response resources ahead of threats and directing TDEM to collaborate with local and federal partners on preliminary damage assessments.