Biden Approves Major Disaster Declaration in 7 Texas Counties After Deadly Storm

President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration in seven Texas counties affected by severe weather and flooding.

The White House announced on May 17 that the president had declared that a major disaster exists in parts of Texas, unlocking federal funding to affected individuals in the counties of Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker.

The declaration allows affected Texans to apply for funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for expenses such as emergency home repairs, temporary housing, uninsured property loss, and funeral expenses associated with the disaster.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, asked the president in a May 15 letter to declare a disaster as the Lone Star State faced a bout of severe weather that began on April 26 and led to major flooding and extensive damage.

“The extensive damage caused by these severe storms, historic river flooding, and tornadoes requires comprehensive, robust action by all levels of government to help Texans rebuild and recover,” Mr. Abbott said in a statement.

The governor asked for individual assistance for seven affected counties and public assistance programs for 26 affected counties. President Biden’s May 17 declaration approved the seven-county request, and the other is pending.

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“The partial approval of my Presidential Disaster Declaration request is a crucial step in the right direction in helping Texans rebuild and recover from recent severe weather events,” Mr. Abbott said in a May 17 statement.

The request for FEMA’s public assistance program, which is still under review, would cover emergency work and repairs, including costs related to removal of debris.

The mayor of Houston, which was hit hard by the storm, thanked President Biden for his “swift support” in approving the disaster declaration.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said three people died during the storm, including an 85-year-old woman whose home caught fire after being struck by lightning and a 60-year-old man who had tried to use his vehicle to power his oxygen tank.

Mr. Whitmire previously said that at least four people were killed in the city when the storms swept through Harris County, which includes Houston.

The National Weather Service issued flood advisories and watches for parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

The National Weather Service in Houston warned that with temperatures hitting about 90 degrees this weekend, people should know the symptoms of heat exhaustion.

“Don’t overdo yourself during the cleanup process,” it stated on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The balmy weather is a concern in a region where more than half a million homes and businesses remained without electricity on the morning of May 18—down from nearly 1 million, according to PowerOutage.us.

Fierce storms on May 15 with winds of up to 100 miles per hour blew out windows in downtown Houston, and a tornado touched down near the northwest Houston suburb of Cypress.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said on May 17 that it could take weeks for power to be restored in some areas.

The widespread destruction brought much of Houston to a standstill. Trees, debris, and shattered glass littered the streets. One building’s brick wall was ripped off.

School districts in the Houston area canceled classes on May 17 for more than 400,000 students, and government offices were closed. City officials urged people to avoid downtown and stay off roads, many of which were flooded or lined with downed power lines and malfunctioning traffic lights.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.