Abbott asks feds for assistance for counties hit by Imelda
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott has requested a presidential disaster declaration for six counties — including Harris County — slammed by Tropical Storm Imelda last month.
“The recent severe weather in the Gulf Coast region has impacted thousands of Texans, leaving many without the resources they need to recover,” Abbott said in a press release. “That is why the state of Texas is requesting federal assistance for the individuals affected by the horrific flooding. I ask the president to grant this request swiftly, so that the state, in collaboration with our federal partners, can help those recover as quickly as possible.”
If granted by President Donald Trump, it would open homeowners and businesses in the six counties up to a variety of federal grants and loans to recover from the storms. The six counties Abbott included in the request are Chambers, Harris, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery and Orange.
Imelda made landfall on Sept. 17 in Freeport. By Sept. 19, as much as 40 inches of rain fell in some locations, according to Abbott’s request. This extensive rainfall resulted in dozens of roadways, including interstate highways, being closed across the region, as well as hundreds of water rescues and evacuations. Based on reports, a minimum of five fatalities were attributed to Imelda. At the storm’s height, nearly 80,000 customers lost power.
Since 2015, the six counties covered by the request have been included in six major disaster declarations for storms and flooding, most notably Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
If Trump grants the disaster declaration, it will be his second for flooding in Texas since July. In July he signed a disaster declaration because of flooding in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties.
“The recent severe weather in the Gulf Coast region has impacted thousands of Texans.”
Gov. Greg Abbott