Governor Abbott updates response to severe weather, flooding in East Texas

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — As severe weather continues to pound the Lone Star State, Governor Greg Abbott is briefing Texans on the ongoing response to severe weather and flooding conditions impacting East Texas communities during a press conference in Conroe.

“Even in a heart-wrenching event like the catastrophic storms and floods we have witnessed in East Texas, we have also seen the resiliency of Texans who are willing to lend a helping hand to protect their fellow Texans,” said Governor Abbott. “The No. 1 thing we want to do in severe weather events is to protect lives.”

Governor Abbott says there are 232 agencies, including state, local, and federal, that are responding to these storms. At the state level, he says 124 people have been evacuated while 58 have been rescued, including 99 pets.

As rivers continue to rise for days, Texans are urged to listen to local officials and take the precautions needed to protect themselves and their properties. Governor Abbott also stressed the importance of not risking your life by driving through high waters.

To quote numerous meteorologists, “Turn around, don’t drown.”

Governor Abbott was joined at the briefing and press conference by Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Chief Nim Kidd, Congressman Morgan Luttrell, Senator Brandon Creighton, numerous state representatives and others.

At the press conference, the Governor pledged Texas’ continued support to communities that need assistance recovering from these storms and urged impacted Texans to report their damage using the TDEM Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) tool. Additionally, the Governor thanked the brave first responders and emergency management personnel who are working around-the-clock to protect their fellow Texans.

East Texas communities impacted by severe weather and flooding conditions are encouraged to complete TDEM’s iSTAT self-reporting damage survey to help state and local officials identify damages and determine the state’s eligibility for federal and disaster assistance. The survey is available is both English and Spanish and can be accessed by clicking here.

Flood information can be accessed by visiting  TexasFlood.org. Tips on preparing for a flood can be found at TexasReady.gov.

Governor Abbott continues to take action to provide all available resources to help support local communities from the impacts of severe weather, including:

• Readying state emergency response resources ahead of wildfire and severe weather threats last week
• Issuing a disaster declaration for counties affected by recent storms and deploying additional state emergency response resources in anticipation of severe weather and flooding last week
• Increasing the readiness level of the State Emergency Operations Center to help support requests for state assistance from local officials