Federal catastrophe help will now be obtainable for eight further Texas counties impacted by lethal flash floods, Gov. Greg Abbott mentioned Friday.
Not less than 160 persons are nonetheless missing because of the floods, which adopted torrential rain over the July 4 weekend. At least 120 persons are lifeless in six counties.
5 Texas counties close to Austin — Burnet, San Saba, Tom Inexperienced, Travis, and Williams — will now be eligible for Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) help for people. Native governments in Kendall, Kimble, Menard, and San Saba counties are additionally now eligible for federal grants to revive public infrastructure or in any other case get well from the catastrophe.
“There was extraordinary collaboration with the state and the federal authorities to guarantee that we deal with Texans’ wants as rapidly as potential by catastrophe help packages. The State of Texas will proceed to work with our federal and native companions to offer impacted Texans with the help they should heal and get well,” Abbott mentioned in an announcement.
President Trump visited Texas Friday to evaluate the injury from the floods. He had previously pledged that he would eliminate FEMA and return catastrophe response to the states.
The federal authorities’s response to the floods has come below criticism amidst stories that it might have been delayed by budgetary restrictions. CNN and The Washington Post have reported {that a} new coverage requiring Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem to approve purchases over $100,000 has restricted FEMA’s potential to place catastrophe response groups.