3 Texas counties newly approved for federal disaster declaration following severe storms

Three more Texas counties were added to the Federal Disaster Declaration following the severe storms and flooding that began April 26.

A total of 35 counties — now including Ellis, Navarro and Terrell — qualify for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s individual assistance programs, allowing homeowners and renters to apply for aid.

“Today’s approval of three more Texas counties for the Federal Disaster Declaration will help ensure communities affected by recent severe weather have the assistance they need to rebuild and recover,” Governor Greg Abbott said in a Saturday news release. “I thank our federal partners and emergency response personnel across our great state who are working tirelessly to protect and support their fellow Texans. Texas will continue to provide every necessary resource to regions across the state who are recovering from these storms.”

The individual assistance program provides funding for expenses such as temporary housing, emergency home repairs, uninsured and underinsured personal property losses, disaster legal services, disaster unemployment assistance, and medical, dental, and funeral expenses caused by the disaster.

Counties that currently qualify for the assistance include: Austin, Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Smith, Terrell, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker and Waller counties.

To apply for the aid, homeowners and renters can visit disasterassistance.gov, download the FEMA app for mobile devices or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The governor’s request for public assistance in 20 additional counties is pending review. That program may cover jurisdictional expenses for debris removal, emergency protective measures, roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and their contents, public utilities, parks and more.

Counties that are eligible for the public assistance vary from the ones that qualify for individual assistance, including: Austin, Bosque, Brown, Caldwell, Calhoun, Clay, Coleman, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Eastland, Falls, Freestone, Grimes, Hamilton, Hardin, Harris, Hockley, Houston, Jasper, Lamar, Lampasas, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, San Saba, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller and Washington counties.