Texas Granted Presidential Disaster Declaration
President George W. Bush (photo) today granted Gov. Perry’s request for a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration, which will provide assistance to 15 Texas counties. This afternoon, the governor and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn toured the impacted areas and were briefed by local officials regarding ongoing emergency response efforts as Tropical Storm Dolly continues to move slowly through south Texas.
"Though some areas in south Texas have incurred significant damage, preparedness efforts on the part of our local, state and federal officials and private sector partners ensured that our number one priority – protecting lives– was successfully met,” said Gov. Perry. "As damage assessments begin, the state stands ready to help south Texas residents rebuild and restore their homes, businesses and communities.”
The Major Presidential Disaster Declaration covers Aransas, Bexar, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, Victoria and Willacy counties. The declaration does include public assistance for emergency protective measures taken before, during and after the disaster, including:
Warning devices such as barricades, signs and announcements
Search and rescue efforts
Security forces such as police and guards
Construction of temporary levees
Provision of shelters or emergency care
Sandbagging
Bracing/shoring damaged structures
Provision of food, water, ice and other essential needs
Emergency repairs
Emergency demolition
Removal of health and safety hazards
Emergency communications, emergency access and emergency public transportation costs may also be eligible.
Expanded public assistance also must await joint state federal damage assessments.
To date, Texas has taken the following actions:
Public Utility Commission: The PUC is working to restore power (or establish generator power) for critical care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, shelters and public safety facilities.
Texas Military Forces: 700 of 1,200 activated national guardsmen are currently assisting with response and recovery efforts, in addition to an incident management team and six UH-60s.
Many major and minor roadways are impassable. The Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge to South Padre Island in Cameron County has reopened. Cleanup and recovery operations have begun.
TxDOT crews from the Yoakum, San Antonio and Corpus Christi Districts have been deployed to the Rio Grande Valley to assist with cleanup and recovery operations. TxDOT personnel are monitoring road and bridge conditions across South Texas and the Coastal Bend to determine whether storm damage presents a threat to travel.
Texas Education Agency: Schools in the lower Rio Grande Valley opened their doors to hundreds of evacuees, providing them with shelter and food. Schools in the Brownsville Independent School District, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, Edinburg Consolidated ISD and La Joya ISD are among those serving as shelters.
Texas Department of Public Safety: Highway Patrol day and night units are escorting food, water and assets throughout affected areas and assisting with other requests. Troopers are escorting supplies to the main staging area in Weslaco. Highway Patrol managers have been sent to DPS Communications offices to ensure DPS communication systems are working well throughout the Valley. DPS helicopters from McAllen, Houston and Austin are also working the area and assisting as needed.
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services: DARS is standing by to provide support, such as interpretation services in shelters, as needed.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: The TCEQ Emergency Response Strike Team, consisting of 16 trained individuals with a mobile command post, a Lab/GIS trailer, and a communications trailer, has deployed to the Valley. The Strike Team is will assess damage caused by Hurricane Dolly.
Health and Human Services Commission: The state’s 2-1-1 system activated 24-hour response operations in additional sites to handle more calls from the affected areas. More than 84,000 Texans have used 2-1-1 to register for transportation assistance, including a surge in registrations from the affected areas just before Dolly hit. HHSC is providing ice and water for evacuation shelters. The state's health and human services offices in the affected area will reopen at 8 a.m. Friday. HHSC is making arrangements to have staff available at Assistance Recovery Centers to help victims apply for state and federal benefits.
Department of State Health Services: DSHS is assessing the need for mosquito control and protection. Area hospitals and dialysis facilities are being surveyed to assess conditions and operations, and to determine assistance required. Baptist Children & Family Services is establishing a medical special needs shelter with a capacity for 250 people. Two eight-person medical strike teams and three sanitarians have been deployed to the impact area.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Texas Parks and Wildlife is opening campsites and screen shelters to those who need a temporary place to stay at state parks not affected by storm. Mustang Island, Resaca de la Palma, Llano Grande and Bentsen state parks are closed due to flooding or other storm-related issues:
The State Operations Center is conducting daily conference calls with local officials, first responders, mass care providers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the National Weather Service to assess the latest weather projections and to coordinate state and local preparation and response.
President George W. Bush (photo) today granted Gov. Perry’s request for a Major Presidential Disaster Declaration, which will provide assistance to 15 Texas counties. This afternoon, the governor and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn toured the impacted areas and were briefed by local officials regarding ongoing emergency response efforts as Tropical Storm Dolly continues to move slowly through south Texas.
"Though some areas in south Texas have incurred significant damage, preparedness efforts on the part of our local, state and federal officials and private sector partners ensured that our number one priority – protecting lives– was successfully met,” said Gov. Perry. "As damage assessments begin, the state stands ready to help south Texas residents rebuild and restore their homes, businesses and communities.”
The Major Presidential Disaster Declaration covers Aransas, Bexar, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, Victoria and Willacy counties. The declaration does include public assistance for emergency protective measures taken before, during and after the disaster, including:
Warning devices such as barricades, signs and announcements
Search and rescue efforts
Security forces such as police and guards
Construction of temporary levees
Provision of shelters or emergency care
Sandbagging
Bracing/shoring damaged structures
Provision of food, water, ice and other essential needs
Emergency repairs
Emergency demolition
Removal of health and safety hazards
Emergency communications, emergency access and emergency public transportation costs may also be eligible.
Expanded public assistance also must await joint state federal damage assessments.
To date, Texas has taken the following actions:
Public Utility Commission: The PUC is working to restore power (or establish generator power) for critical care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, shelters and public safety facilities.
Texas Military Forces: 700 of 1,200 activated national guardsmen are currently assisting with response and recovery efforts, in addition to an incident management team and six UH-60s.
Texas Department of Transportation: Widespread flooding continues to obstruct travel in the Rio Grande Valley. TxDOT crews are assessing roads and bridges and repairing damage to signal lights and signs. TxDOT has received reports of electrical transmission lines down, signal lights out, water and debris on roadways in the Rio Grande Valley.
Many major and minor roadways are impassable. The Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge to South Padre Island in Cameron County has reopened. Cleanup and recovery operations have begun.
TxDOT crews from the Yoakum, San Antonio and Corpus Christi Districts have been deployed to the Rio Grande Valley to assist with cleanup and recovery operations. TxDOT personnel are monitoring road and bridge conditions across South Texas and the Coastal Bend to determine whether storm damage presents a threat to travel.
Texas Education Agency: Schools in the lower Rio Grande Valley opened their doors to hundreds of evacuees, providing them with shelter and food. Schools in the Brownsville Independent School District, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, Edinburg Consolidated ISD and La Joya ISD are among those serving as shelters.
Texas Department of Public Safety: Highway Patrol day and night units are escorting food, water and assets throughout affected areas and assisting with other requests. Troopers are escorting supplies to the main staging area in Weslaco. Highway Patrol managers have been sent to DPS Communications offices to ensure DPS communication systems are working well throughout the Valley. DPS helicopters from McAllen, Houston and Austin are also working the area and assisting as needed.
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services: DARS is standing by to provide support, such as interpretation services in shelters, as needed.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: The TCEQ Emergency Response Strike Team, consisting of 16 trained individuals with a mobile command post, a Lab/GIS trailer, and a communications trailer, has deployed to the Valley. The Strike Team is will assess damage caused by Hurricane Dolly.
Health and Human Services Commission: The state’s 2-1-1 system activated 24-hour response operations in additional sites to handle more calls from the affected areas. More than 84,000 Texans have used 2-1-1 to register for transportation assistance, including a surge in registrations from the affected areas just before Dolly hit. HHSC is providing ice and water for evacuation shelters. The state's health and human services offices in the affected area will reopen at 8 a.m. Friday. HHSC is making arrangements to have staff available at Assistance Recovery Centers to help victims apply for state and federal benefits.
Department of State Health Services: DSHS is assessing the need for mosquito control and protection. Area hospitals and dialysis facilities are being surveyed to assess conditions and operations, and to determine assistance required. Baptist Children & Family Services is establishing a medical special needs shelter with a capacity for 250 people. Two eight-person medical strike teams and three sanitarians have been deployed to the impact area.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Texas Parks and Wildlife is opening campsites and screen shelters to those who need a temporary place to stay at state parks not affected by storm. Mustang Island, Resaca de la Palma, Llano Grande and Bentsen state parks are closed due to flooding or other storm-related issues:
The State Operations Center is conducting daily conference calls with local officials, first responders, mass care providers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the National Weather Service to assess the latest weather projections and to coordinate state and local preparation and response.
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