Governor Greg Abbott has formally requested a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for rural areas affected by severe flooding in Texas over the July 4th weekend. The counties included in the request are Coke, Concho, Kendall, Mason, and Sutton.
“Texas continues to support communities and Texans who are working to recover from the devastating floods that took place over the Fourth of July weekend,” said Governor Abbott. “Today, I requested additional federal assistance to ensure that families and businesses in these affected areas have access to the support they need. Texas will continue to provide all necessary resources to help Texans recover and rebuild.”
If approved by the SBA, homeowners, renters, and businesses in these counties could become eligible for low-interest loans through Home Disaster Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs following the July flooding.
Governor Abbott’s office has implemented several measures to assist flood-impacted communities. These include extending disaster unemployment assistance for survivors of flooding events and securing an extension for FEMA Individual Assistance registration for those affected. Financial aid efforts have also been ongoing: checks were presented alongside organizations such as Vaqueros del Mar Texas Flood Relief Fund and Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, with more than $40 million announced for long-term relief funding.
Other actions cited by Governor Abbott involve advocating for federal disaster assistance for various counties—including requesting their inclusion in Presidential Disaster Declarations—and celebrating infrastructure repairs like the reopening of Cow Creek Bridge. The state also launched initiatives such as a new emotional support line specific to flood survivors and provided updates on recovery operations after meeting with impacted residents and first responders.
Additionally, targeted funding was made available through programs like the Texas Micro-Business Disaster Recovery Loan Program (up to $5 million), while hospitals in Kerrville and Llano received over $1.9 million in grant funding due to recent catastrophic floods.
Efforts continue as state officials survey damage across multiple regions, update disaster declarations to include newly impacted areas, deploy emergency response resources ahead of predicted weather threats, and maintain communication about ongoing recovery progress.
