Gov. Abbott Issues Disaster Declaration After Ice Storm Damage

Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration Saturday for Texas counties impacted by this week’s ice storm that caused widespread property damage, hazardous travel disruptions, and localized power outages. The disaster declaration includes Denton, Hays, Henderson, Milam, Smith, Travis, and Williamson counties. Additional counties may be added to the declaration as damage assessments are completed.

"The State of Texas has provided all assistance requested throughout the severe weather this week, and we continue to ensure that communities across our state have the resources and support they need to recover from the winter weather event," said Governor Abbott. "Through this disaster declaration, we will be able to provide additional assistance to Texans and communities who have experienced property damage and localized power outages from this ice storm. Texans are encouraged to continue reporting damages to the iSTAT damage survey so we can meet all needs in the recovery process."

At the direction of Governor Abbott and in support of requests for assistance from local officials, repairs to damaged infrastructure, the disposal of debris, and damage assessments are underway and ongoing.

This week, the Governor urged Texans to report ice storm damage to homes and businesses using the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT). The iSTAT damage survey can be filled out in English and Spanish online by visiting damage.tdem.texas.gov and clicking on “Ice Storm/Winter Weather January 29 - Ongoing."

The details and photos provided in the iSTAT damage reports help emergency management officials determine if the state meets federal requirements for additional disaster assistance. The submitted information also aids officials in identifying resource needs. Reporting damage through the iSTAT survey is a voluntary activity and is not a substitute for reporting damage to your insurance agency. It does not guarantee disaster relief assistance.

On Monday, Governor Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the State Operations Center to Level II (Escalated Response) and mobilized state emergency response resources as winter weather began impacting large portions of Texas. The next day, the Governor provided an update on the State of Texas' response to the severe winter weather conditions at a press conference in Austin.