Greg Abbott issues major disaster declaration for Texas communities impacted by flood

Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday signed a major disaster declaration for 28 Texas counties, which he said is heading to President Donald Trump to approve.

The declaration fast tracks accessibility to receive federal aid to assist in rebuilding efforts.

It applies to 28 counties that have been hardest hit by floodwaters. More counties will be added as needed, he said. The areas that remain under the greatest threat are Uvalde, Zavala, Dimmit and Real counties, Abbott said.

“Uvalde was hit very, very hard but the community and the people of this community are strong and resilient,” Abbott said at a press briefing. “The one river that remains the greatest danger to this community is the Nueces River.”

The river reached nearly 17 feet on Friday at Laguna, according to a river gauges tracker published by the Houston Chronicle. Farther south, the Nueces River reached nearly 26 feet near Asherton in Dimmit County. In Eagle Pass, the Rio Grande River reached nearly 19 feet.

“The worst rain is behind us,” Abbott said, but more importantly, “the rivers are going to continue to rise over the next few days and still pose life-threatening danger to anybody near them.”

Flooding has caused bridges to collapse and rendered roads impassable. The FM 481 bridge in Uvalde County collapsed due to flooding, Texas Department of Public Safety said.

The Highway 90 bridge at Pinto Creek “has been compromised due to the flood water washing the asphalt off the road and will be closed indefinitely,” Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe said in a text alert.

As overflowing creeks and rivers continue to rush south, lakes are filling up and additional flooding is expected.

After heavy rainfall in Segovia, the Johnson Fork Creek topped 22 feet and is pouring into the Llano River. This could cause “moderate to major flood along the Llano River this afternoon and evening,” CBS Austin News Meteorologist Avery Tomasco said.

In Travis County, Lake Travis rose more than an inch every 10 minutes Thursday, according to the latest LCRA Mansfield Dam data. The lake is 63 miles long and holds 1.13 million-acre feet of water.

By Friday morning, the lake was up by eight feet. It is expected to gain another 4 feet in the next 24 hours with continued and increasing flows from the Llano River, Tomasco said. The lake is at 100% capacity for the first time in seven years, he added.

Over the last few days, more than 2,700 state personnel have provided emergency response. More than 1,500 vehicles, more than 90 boats, more than 20 aircraft and other resources have been deployed. The state has rescued more than 270 people, Abbott said.

Texas Game Wardens have conducted 147 rescues and 83 evacuations in eight counties and delivered food and supplies via helicopter, it said in a series of social media posts.

In Uvalde and Zavala counties, local officials rescued more than 300 people, Abbott said. Roughly 125 people remain in shelters in the Uvalde area.

Two people have died so far statewide from the flood: one near Comfort and another in Uvalde.

Emergency personnel from other states are assisting in recovery efforts, including Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Nebraska, Alabama, Missouri, Colorado, Arizona and Florida, Abbott said, thanking them and their governors.

The state is and will continue to work with local and federal authorities on cleanup efforts, including debris removal and the rebuilding process in the coming weeks and months, Abbott said.

In the meantime, “We want everyone for the next 24 to 48 hours to be fully aware of the danger that water can provide to your life right now,” Abbott emphasized, again warning Texans to stay off the roads and avoid driving or walking into water.

The state also created a new state fund, the Rebuild Texas Fund, to support recovery efforts, at RebuildTX.org. The 501C3 charitable organization was launched to provide donors with a single point of contact to ensure their support will reach those in need.

Texans are encouraged to stay up to date on severe weather safety information at TexasReady.gov, DriveTexas.org and tdem.texas.gov/prepare.

Texans who sustained damage caused by severe storms and flooding are encouraged to report damage through the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool.

Texans can find flood recovery resources at TexasFlood.org and report roads in need of repair at txdot.gov.

Shelter locations can be found at tdem.texas.gov/shelter.