A Presidential Disaster Declaration was granted for Texas counties due to damage sustained from the severe weather, tornadoes and flooding. The declaration will aid Texas counties as they continue to recover and rebuild, according to the Office of the Governor news release.
Individual assistance was requested for Harris, Hays and Van Zandt counties. Individual assistance provides affected residents and businesses access to disaster housing, disaster grants, low-interest disaster loans, and other disaster aid programs including crisis counseling, disaster-related unemployment assistance, legal aid and assistance with income tax, Social Security and veteran’s benefits.
Public assistance was requested for Cooke, Gaines, Grimes, Harris, Hays, Navarro and Van Zandt counties. Public assistance is aid to state or local governments to pay part of the costs of rebuilding a community’s damaged infrastructure, which may include debris removal, emergency protective measures and public services, repair of damaged public property, loans needed by communities for essential government functions and grants for public schools. Generally, public assistance programs pay for 75 percent of the approved project costs.
Additional counties may be added to the governor’s request once they meet the threshold required by the federal government to request federal disaster aid.