The declaration makes state emergency resources available to help cities and counties as they continue to repair infrastructure, clean up debris and restore electricity in local power outages. Abbott deployed multiple state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Transportation, to respond to the winter storm Jan. 30.
The governor’s disaster declaration includes Denton, Hays, Henderson, Milam, Smith, Travis and Williamson counties. According to a news release, additional counties may be added as officials conduct damage assessments in affected communities.
Abbott has encouraged Texans to report damage to their homes and businesses online using the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool. The damage survey, which is available in English and Spanish, helps state leaders measure the scope of the damages and determine if Texas is eligible for federal disaster assistance.
To access the survey, visit damage.tdem.texas.gov and select “Ice Storm/Winter Weather January 29 - Ongoing” under “active incidents.” There is no deadline to report damage.
Filling out a report is entirely voluntary, and Texans should still submit reports to their insurance agencies when needed, the release said. Disaster relief assistance is not guaranteed for individual people and businesses.
“The state of Texas has provided all assistance requested throughout the severe weather this week, and we continue to ensure that communities across our state have the resources and support they need to recover from the winter weather event,” Abbott said in the release. “Through this disaster declaration, we will be able to provide additional assistance to Texans and communities who have experienced property damage and localized power outages from this ice storm.”
As of 3:40 p.m. Feb. 6, nearly 20,000 Austin Energy customers were still without power. The utility company said it could take until Feb. 12 to restore power in “nearly all” of the remaining outages.
Over 4,000 Oncor customers in North and Central Texas did not have power at 3:40 p.m. Fallen trees are a large factor in the longer-than-normal wait times, the utility company said in a Feb. 4 news release.
