What you need to know
According to a news release from Abbott's office, the funding is coming from the General Revenue Waste Management Account, which can be used for previous and current debris removal costs.
In most cases, cities and counties in impacted areas are responsible for costs associated with debris removal until federal aid is made available to reimburse a portion of those expenses.
However, due to a delay in aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Abbott said Texas officials decided to take immediate action to provide critical assistance to those communities.
"As Southeast Texas recovers from devastating severe weather this summer, Texas continues working to support local communities as they rebuild and move forward from Hurricane Beryl and the derecho storm," he said. "Working together, Texas will ensure that our communities have the necessary resources to prepare, respond and recover from severe weather."
Something to note
During an Oct. 9 news conference, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said that a substantial amount of the funds will go to the city of Houston to cover the cost of debris removal, which is approximately $32 million.
The remaining funds will be dispersed across the 122 counties listed in the Hurricane Beryl proclamation, such as Fort Bend, Harris and Montgomery counties.
The funds will be administered by the Texas Division of Emergency Management with assistance from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
