Governor Abbott Updates Disaster Declaration For Northeast Texas, Deploys Additional State Response Resources
Governor Greg Abbott today updated the state’s disaster declaration to include additional communities impacted by severe storms that caused widespread damage to electric infrastructure in the region. The counties added to the Governor’s declaration are Camp, Gregg, Hopkins, Panola, Smith, and Titus counties.
“This expanded disaster declaration will help support the ongoing recovery efforts for all Texans impacted by recent severe storms and tornadoes that hit our state last week,” said Governor Abbott. “The State of Texas continues working with state and local officials to deploy any additional resources needed as they quickly restore power and provide ongoing assistance to their fellow Texans as they begin to recover and rebuild. I thank all first responders and response personnel for their continued hard work and dedication to respond to storm damages and assist in the recovery efforts of Northeast Texas communities.”
At the Governor’s direction, the following additional state resources have been deployed by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to support local response and recovery operations:
- Texas Division of Emergency Management: Emergency management personnel to support local emergency operations centers and to coordinate the establishment of Points of Distribution (PODs) across the impacted counties for members of the community to pick up water, ice, and Meals Ready to Eat (MREs)
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Additional Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System Strike Teams, tactical water tenders, and additional Incident Management Teams to support local firefighting capability and points of distribution
- Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Mobile Medical Unit to support local hospital operations
- Texas National Guard: Personnel to support points of distribution
- Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team: Providing support to local veterinary services in impacted communities.
The following state resources announced yesterday remain deployed to support storm response and recovery operations in the northern portion of the state:
- Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel and heavy equipment for roadway debris clearing and traffic control
- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Public Works Response Team): Personnel and equipment to support utility and wastewater treatment needs and operate the state resource staging area
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System Strike Teams, Incident Management Teams, and Saw Crews
- Texas Division of Emergency Management: Response and Recovery personnel to conduct damage assessments and coordinate requests for assistance, activated state disaster contracts for emergency resource transportation and fuel for generators, coordination of cellular connectivity for first responder communications, State Mass Care Coordination, base camp operations to house responding crews, a resource staging area to support impacted jurisdictions
- Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Medical Incident Support Teams, ambulance buses, and ambulances supporting local hospitals, nursing homes, and emergency medical services
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Utilizing contracts for local ice and water needs
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens assisting with supply delivery and security in affected areas
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Personnel and equipment to assist with air/water/wastewater monitoring
- Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents to assist with damage assessments
- Public Utility Commission of Texas: Working with utility providers to send additional crews to impacted areas to repair damaged electric infrastructure
- Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol Troopers
- Texas National Guard: Personnel and high-profile vehicles for movement of emergency supplies
Last week, Governor Abbott directed TDEM to deploy state emergency response resources to address urgent life-safety needs in Perryton following severe storms and tornado impacts. On Friday, Governor Abbott issued a disaster declaration and directed TDEM to increase the readiness level of the Texas State Operations Center to Level II (Escalated Response) to support requests for assistance from local officials. Governor Abbott held a briefing and press conference on Saturday in Perryton to provide an update on the state's response efforts and updated his disaster declaration to include additional Northeast Texas communities affected by the severe storms. Yesterday, the Governor provided an update on the state’s ongoing response to severe storms and urged the public to remain weather aware during continued severe weather potential and extreme heat.
The potential for severe weather and continued extreme heat remain ongoing threats across the state. TDEM has compiled a list of cooling centers opened by local officials online at tdem.texas.gov/cool.
Read the Governor’s updated disaster declaration.