Disaster Declared After Tornado Rips Through Cameron County

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that he issued a disaster declaration for residents in Cameron County impacted by the severe storms and tornado that caused property damage over the weekend.

"To help Texans rebuild and recover, I issued a disaster declaration for Cameron County to help repair property damaged during last week's severe weather," said Governor Abbott. "All Texans affected by this storm should report damages through the iSTAT damage survey so state and local officials can determine whether the state qualifies for federal assistance. I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for their ongoing assistance in Cameron County as the State of Texas continues providing all available support and resources to Texans and the community as they begin moving forward from this storm."

Additionally, the Governor directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to request joint disaster damage assessments with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to determine the state’s eligibility for federal disaster assistance for Texans whose properties were damaged during the severe storms late last week. Following an initial review of damage assessment information self-reported by Texans through the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT), state and local officials believe the damage is sufficient to meet requirements for a declaration by the SBA. If the damage sustained qualifies for an SBA administrative disaster declaration, the SBA can provide low-interest loans through its disaster programs to eligible Texans whose homes and businesses were damaged during the severe weather.

Texans are encouraged to self-report property damage using iSTAT at damage.tdem.texas.gov. The survey is available in English and Spanish.

TDEM continues to have recovery personnel engaged in Cameron County to support local officials and the community recover from this storm damage. A Disaster Assistance Center (DAC) is now open in Cameron County to connect impacted residents with disaster recovery information from local, state, and nonprofit partners.