Gov. Abbott Outlines Disaster Recovery Efforts

AUSTIN, TX – Governor Greg Abbott held a press conference in San Antonio Sunday where he provided an update on the state's efforts to provide water and other resources to Texans across the state. The Governor's press conference was held at Port San Antonio, where members of the National Guard are currently unloading water and other resources to distribute to communities in Texas. 

The Governor noted that power and water are continuing to be restored throughout Texas and that multiple state agencies are working together to ensure communities have access to water, food, and other resources as communities begin to recover from the severe winter storm. 

"We are making great progress in our recovery efforts from this winter storm, but many Texans are still without water, food, and other supplies — which is why the state is stepping up make sure Texans have the resources they need to provide for their families," said Governor Abbott. "I thank our local, state, and federal partners for working together to address the needs of Texans and expedite our recovery process. I also want to thank our utility workers for providing crucial services to Texans who have experienced power outages and burst pipes. Together, we will continue to overcome this challenge." 

The state has deployed trucks and aircraft to deliver water to communities, including 162 trucks that have delivered a total of 2 million bottles of water and 1.4 million bottles of water that have been delivered by plane and helicopter. State agencies are working with local officials to set up staging sites for distribution. The state has also suspended size, weight, hours-of-service requirements, and more to get more commercial trucks on the road to deliver supplies across the state. Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), blankets, and generators have been provided to communities in need. In addition, the Governor has waived regulations to allow the use of unlicensed kitchens to prepare meals to donate to Texans so long as they abide by guidance issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services. 

Governor Abbott also mentioned that he is working with members of the legislature to address skyrocketing energy bills that resulted from a temporary spike in the energy market. He said that they are working quickly to calculate the total cost of these bills and find ways that the state can help reduce this burden. The Governor stated that the Public Utility Commission has issued a moratorium on customer disconnections for non-payment and will temporarily restrict providers from issuing invoices. This pause will ensure that the state has time to address these bills and develop a solution for Texans.