TEXAS — On Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a major disaster declaration for the 28 counties that have been hit hardest by the flooding this week. At least two people have died, one in Uvalde County and one in Kerr County.
The governor signed the declaration during a news conference in Uvalde County on Friday afternoon. Uvalde has been at the epicenter of heavy rainfall for most of the week, receiving months worth of rain in the span of a few days.
The worst of the flooding happened along the Nueces River, which even caused a section of a bridge to collapse in Uvalde County. A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) said they were actively surveying the damage and could not give a timeline for repairs.
The declaration is 20 pages long, and Abbott said it would be sent to President Donald Trump for approval in order to receive federal relief. The governor also said that other counties could be added to the declaration as needed.
Abbott said that while the state has rescued over 270 people, local first responders in Zavala and Uvalde counties have rescued over 300 people.