Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issues disaster declaration for 23 counties amid worst flooding on record

On Tuesday, the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott signed a state disaster declaration for 23 counties in Texas after the Dallas-Fort Worth area experienced the city’s second worst rainstorm and flooding on record. 

During the storm, certain parts of Dallas-Fort Worth saw more than 10 inches of rainfall with flooded streets and homes in what Abbott called, “an extraordinary challenge.” The storm took the life of a 60-year-old woman who died when her car was swept away by the flood. 

Appearing in Dallas at a news conference, Abbott was upfront with the damage the storm had on the city, saying more than 100 homes were damaged by the storm.

According to KEYE Austin, the state responded with 11 Texas A&M Task Force water boat squads, tactical marine units from the Department of Public Safety, and a search-and-rescue team from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 

The Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Nim Kidd, praised the quick response: “15 inches in a five-hour period, with very little advance warning. The worst appears to be over, he added, though he warned there is still plenty of water out.”

This disaster declaration will free up the states resources for the citizens who were impacted by the storm, this will also include counties outside the Dallas area and also El Paso County. Some parts of Texas have been experiencing extreme droughts for the past few months, though this week’s rainfall is not expected to end the drought to speak of.