Governor Greg Abbott has requested a rural area disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) following severe flooding across Texas during the July 4th weekend. The request covers Coke, Concho, Kendall, Mason, and Sutton counties.
“Texas continues to support communities and Texans who are working to recover from the devastating floods that took place over the Fourth of July weekend,” said Governor Abbott. “Today, I requested additional federal assistance to ensure that families and businesses in these affected areas have access to the support they need. Texas will continue to provide all necessary resources to help Texans recover and rebuild.”
If approved, the SBA declaration would allow homeowners, renters, and businesses in those counties to apply for low-interest loans through programs such as Home Disaster Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
Governor Abbott’s office has taken several steps in response to this year’s flooding. These include extending disaster unemployment assistance for survivors and securing an extension of FEMA Individual Assistance registration periods for those impacted by flooding. The state has also worked with organizations like the Vaqueros del Mar Texas Flood Relief Fund and Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country on relief efforts totaling more than $40 million.
Other actions have included presenting financial aid checks to affected families in the Hill Country region, announcing new funding opportunities such as up to $5 million through the Texas Micro-Business Disaster Recovery Loan Program, and providing over $1.9 million in grants for hospitals hit by floods in Kerrville and Llano.
Abbott’s administration has also sought federal disaster declarations for multiple counties—requesting additions or updates as needed—and announced eligibility expansions for benefits like SNAP replacement or hot foods purchases in affected areas.
State officials have visited impacted communities alongside federal partners including President Trump at various points during recovery operations. They have surveyed flood damage with emergency management leaders such as General Steven Nordhaus and met with first responders on-site.
Additional measures included launching an emotional support line for flood victims, increasing readiness levels at the State Operations Center ahead of severe weather events, deploying emergency response resources before anticipated rainfall or flash flooding threats, amending disaster declarations as conditions evolved, and updating Texans regularly on ongoing recovery efforts.
