Disaster declaration extended to May for Lakeway

The city of Lakeway issued a disaster declaration through midnight May 3 to allow Lakeway residents time to file damage claims and for the city to receive outside help from the city of Austin and Travis County, Lakeway Mayor Thomas Kilgore said.

During a special City Council meeting Feb. 6, Kilgore said he was extending the declaration, which became official Feb. 3, to May 3 to allow residents time to make claims on their homeowners insurance and their taxes for losses sustained by damage from the storm.

He said it also helped start a conversation with Travis County and the city of Austin about the disaster.

“Up until that point in time [when the declaration was issued], the state and county were reluctant to declare a disaster,” he said.

After several smaller municipalities in West Travis County started to “light a fire under them,” both entities got on board, he said.

Since the city of Austin, Travis County and Texas have all issued disaster declarations, Lakeway will be able to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency relief and county funds “if they are made available,” Kilgore said.