The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, declared a state of disaster due to ongoing rain and flooding affecting southern Texas. The declaration covers the counties of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy. The governor mentioned the possibility of adding more counties if conditions worsen.
"Texas sigue apoyando a las comunidades locales en el sur de Texas afectadas por las lluvias intensas y las inundaciones," said Governor Abbott. "Hoy, emití una declaración de desastre para los condados de Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr y Willacy para ayudar a los funcionarios locales a responder y proteger a los texanos."
He thanked first responders and emergency teams for their efficient action in deploying critical resources and assistance. Governor Abbott emphasized the importance of being prepared and urged Texans to monitor weather conditions, create emergency plans, and heed the advice of state and local officials.
The Texas State Operations Center remains activated at Level II to manage state assistance to affected communities. The Texas Emergency Management Council continues to monitor severe weather threats in northern and eastern Texas, as well as the ongoing wildfire danger in the west.
According to the National Weather Service, severe storms are forecast for extensive parts of northern and eastern Texas over the weekend, potentially bringing hail, damaging winds, heavy rain, and possible tornadoes. Elevated to critical wildfire danger persists in most of western Texas until midweek.
The following emergency response resources remain active statewide:
- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service: Fast water rescue teams
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Local and external firefighting personnel, heavy equipment, and federally contracted aircraft
- Texas Division of Emergency Management: State Incident Management Team and Disaster Recovery Task Force
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Park rangers and helicopter rescue teams
- Texas Department of Public Safety: Helicopters and patrol resources
- Texas National Guard: Personnel and high-profile vehicles
- Texas Department of State Health Services: Medical support packages
- Texas Department of Transportation: Road condition monitoring teams
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster assessment and recovery agents
- Public Utility Commission of Texas: Monitoring and coordination with utility providers
- Railroad Commission of Texas: Natural gas supply monitoring
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Environmental monitoring
Texans are urged to report storm damages through the Texas Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) at damage.tdem.texas.gov. Monitoring road conditions and following local officials' warnings remain essential.
Find detailed information on severe weather and flooding online at disaster.texas.gov and preventive tips at tdem.texas.gov/prepare.
