The declaration will make federal resources available to individuals seeking housing and home repairs, and to governments and nonprofits doing emergency work.
By Casey He
Staff Writer
President Donald Trump on Sunday signed a major disaster declaration for Kerr County after deadly flash flooding through Texas’ Hill Country. Authorities said the death toll had climbed to 68 in Kerr County alone.
“These families are enduring an unimaginable tragedy, with many lives lost, and many still missing,” Trump said in a social media post announcing the signing.
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The declaration comes one day after U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem arrived to survey the storm-battered region, including a visit to Camp Mystic, where a group of girls were apparently caught in fast-moving floodwaters. Ten girls and one counselor from the summer camp remain missing.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has expanded the state’s disaster declaration beyond Kerr County to include counties near Austin, but Sunday’s federal declaration appeared confined to Kerr County, the hardest-hit area.
Over the weekend, assets from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection have been assisting the local search and rescue efforts, state and federal officials said at Saturday’s news conference.
Trump’s declaration will provide federal disaster assistance to individuals seeking housing, home repairs and loans to cover home damages, according to a FEMA news release.
It will also make federal funding available to government agencies and nonprofit organizations for emergency work and facility repair and replacement “on a cost-sharing basis.”
The president said the Coast Guard and state first responders have saved more than 850 people from the flooding.
Following Trump’s declaration on Sunday, Noem said in a social media post that her department is deploying federal resources to Texas first responders and will continue supporting state and local officials “as search efforts continue and recovery begins.”
Staff writer Suryatapa Chakraborty contributed to this report.
By Casey He
Casey He is a news intern at The Dallas Morning News. He reports on local government with a focus on Collin County. Previously, Casey was a reporting intern at Midstory, writing about business and technology in the Midwest. Casey is a rising senior at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
