TL;DR: On September 3, 2026, President Donald J. Trump approved a Major Disaster Declaration for July severe weather and flooding in Texas, opening FEMA Public Assistance to 19 counties while aid for individuals remains pending.

Disaster Declaration Approved September 3

Governor Greg Abbott announced on September 3, 2026, in Austin, Texas, that President Donald J. Trump approved federal disaster assistance as part of a Major Disaster Declaration, according to the Office of the Texas Governor | Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott.

The approval followed severe weather and flooding that impacted communities across the state in July, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Abbott requested a presidential disaster declaration on July 17, according to Texas Public Radio reporting in Federal disaster aid approved 7 weeks after South Central Texas floods; Bexar windstorm assessment begins.

The approval came nearly seven weeks after that July 17 request, according to Texas Public Radio.

“I thank President Trump for his approval of this Major Disaster Declaration,” said Governor Abbott.

“Federal public assistance is now available in 19 Texas counties damaged by the July storms and floods,” Abbott said.

“Local officials will now have needed resources to recover and rebuild,” Abbott said.

“Texas will deliver every available resource to affected communities,” Abbott said.

What FEMA Public Assistance Covers

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved its Public Assistance program for the 19 counties, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

The program includes assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

FEMA issued a news release Thursday announcing the public assistance funding, which will also be available to the state government, according to The Texas Tribune reporting in Trump announces $50 million for Texas storm recovery.

The announced funding will help 19 counties pay for infrastructure repairs, according to The Texas Tribune.

Abbott cited $489.7 million in costs from the July storms in his first request for federal help to aid state and local governments for debris removal and restoring infrastructure such as roads, buildings and parks, according to The Texas Tribune.

Before Tuesday’s post, Trump had only approved limited federal emergency assistance so far for those floods, which is typically capped at $5 million, according to The Texas Tribune.

The 19 Counties Approved For Public Assistance

The 19 counties approved for FEMA Public Assistance are Bandera, Crockett, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Mason, Maverick, Menard, Real, Sutton, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala County, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

The counties covered by the declaration are west, northwest and south of San Antonio and stretch to the border with Mexico, according to Texas Public Radio.

They include Uvalde, Zavala and Kerr counties, according to The Texas Tribune.

Kerr County is among 19 counties approved for federal disaster assistance, according to Texas Public Radio.

Residents surveyed debris and a collapsed bridge over Goat Creek in Kerrville after July flooding, according to Texas Public Radio.

Kerr County was struck by deadly flooding in 2025 and was still building back from that when the 2026 flooding hit, according to The Texas Tribune.

The Guadalupe, Nueces and Frio rivers all reached flood stage, according to Texas Public Radio.

Some areas, including Cotulla, were under water for days, according to Texas Public Radio.

Nine Additional Counties Still Pending

The Governor’s request for Public Assistance for 9 additional counties remains pending, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

A request for funding was still pending for nine more counties that sustained flood damage, according to The Texas Tribune.

Abbott said requests for public assistance remain pending for nine counties: Atascosa, Bexar, Blanco, Brewster, Comal, Medina, Schleicher, Terrell and Wilson, according to Texas Public Radio.

Those nine counties are Atascosa, Bexar, Blanco, Brewster, Comal, Medina, Schleicher, Terrell and Wilson.

Emergency planners in pending counties remain under the state disaster declaration process while FEMA reviews eligibility.

Uvalde County commissioners postponed a countywide debris removal plan in July while waiting for state and federal guidance to ensure the county remained eligible for FEMA reimbursement, according to Texas Public Radio.

Officials said failing to properly document debris removal and other expenses could leave local taxpayers responsible for the costs, according to Texas Public Radio.

Individual Assistance For 30 Counties Awaits Decision

The Governor’s request for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program for 30 affected counties remains pending, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Trump also hadn’t made a decision yet on a request to help individuals in those counties with disaster-related costs, such as for temporary housing and initial home repairs, according to The Texas Tribune.

Texas is still waiting for help for individuals in the affected counties, according to The Texas Tribune.

A separate request for individual assistance for 30 counties remains pending, according to Texas Public Radio.

FEMA’s Individual Assistance program funding assists with expenses such as temporary housing, emergency home repairs, uninsured and underinsured personal property losses, disaster legal services, disaster unemployment assistance, and medical, dental, and funeral expenses caused by the disaster, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Gov. Abbott also requested FEMA’s Individual Assistance program to help fund the personal expenses of Texans affected by the floods in 30 counties, according to CBS reporting referenced in state coverage summaries.

The pending Individual Assistance request would help Texans cover costs such as temporary housing, emergency home repairs, uninsured property losses and other disaster-related expenses.

More than six weeks after the severe July flooding, residents and local governments were still waiting on major recovery funding from FEMA to help with short-term individual needs and more permanent infrastructure repairs, according to The Texas Tribune reporting published Friday before the declaration.

Hazard Mitigation Funding Still Pending Statewide

Additionally, a request from Texas to authorize additional FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program resources statewide remains pending, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program resources would support statewide mitigation projects if authorized.

FEMA did not respond to a request for comment, according to The Texas Tribune.

Research by Andrew Rumbach, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, has shown that major federal disaster funding decisions are taking roughly three times longer on average under the current administration than under previous administrations since 2000, when the typical wait was about three weeks, according to The Texas Tribune.

In a post on X Wednesday morning, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, thanked the president for his announced funds, according to The Texas Tribune.

“We will keep working together to ensure every affected community has the resources and support it needs to rebuild and recover,” Cruz wrote.

“I’ll continue working to make sure no community is left behind,” Cruz wrote.

How Texans Should Report Damage Through iSTAT

Officials continue to review disaster damage information self-reported by Texans through TDEM’s Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) damage survey, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Impacted Texans are encouraged to submit information about damage to homes or businesses caused by the July storms and flooding by visiting damage.tdem.texas.gov, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

These details are vital to help officials identify impacted areas and connect Texans with resources, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Those impacted by the floods may submit their damage information to damage.tdem.texas.gov, according to local Austin coverage of the announcement.

Officials say this will help them identify impacted areas and connect Texans with resources.

Texans who sustained damage to a home or business are encouraged to report it through TDEM’s iSTAT survey, according to Texas Public Radio.

The survey can be found at TDEM Damage Surveys, according to Texas Public Radio.

State Response Actions Before Federal Approval

Governor Abbott continues to take action to provide all available resources to support communities impacted by the July severe storms and flooding, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

That action included announcing the extension of SNAP replacement benefits for Texans affected by flooding, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Abbott said the state has also extended SNAP replacement benefits for Texans affected by the flooding, according to Texas Public Radio.

That action included amending the state’s disaster declaration to include additional impacted counties and providing an update in Cotulla on the state’s emergency response in affected areas, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

That action included providing an update in Uvalde on the state’s flood response, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

That action included issuing a state disaster declaration, increasing the readiness level of the Texas State Emergency Operations Center (SOC) to 24-hour operations at Level II (Escalated Response) and activating additional state emergency response resources as heavy rainfall and flash flooding threats continued, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

That action included deploying state emergency response resources ahead of the severe weather and flash flooding threat, according to the Texas Division of Emergency Management version of the release.

Funding Announcement And $50.5 Million Post

On Tuesday, Trump said in a Truth Social post that Texas would receive $50.5 million in disaster recovery assistance “from the severe storms, winds, tornadoes, and flooding that hit them hard,” according to The Texas Tribune.

Trump didn’t specify which storms he meant, according to The Texas Tribune.

His 5:42 p.m. post went up just hours after Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border and was pushing inland into southeast Texas, according to The Texas Tribune.

“Texas is a special place, and I will be back soon to support Governor Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate, and the entire ticket of Republican Candidates, who have my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump wrote in the post, according to The Texas Tribune.

Trump’s announced funding was still only a fraction of Gov. Greg Abbott’s initial estimate of $489.7 million in costs from the July storms, according to The Texas Tribune.

Separate Bexar County Windstorm Assessment

Separately, Abbott has ordered a preliminary damage assessment for Bexar County following the Aug. 28 windstorm that caused widespread damage and power outages across San Antonio, according to Texas Public Radio.

The U.S. Small Business Administration will join state and local officials in conducting the assessment, which will help determine whether the county qualifies for additional federal disaster assistance, according to Texas Public Radio.

“Texas will deliver every necessary resource to Bexar County after the August storms,” Abbott said, according to Texas Public Radio.

“I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to request the SBA join state and local officials for preliminary damage assessments,” Abbott said, according to Texas Public Radio.

Wind damage was reported across San Antonio and Bexar County, and more than 110,000 CPS Energy customers lost power at the peak of the storm, according to Texas Public Radio.

The National Weather Service said measured wind speeds reached 55 to 65 mph, with pockets of stronger winds indicated by radar and storm damage, according to Texas Public Radio.

What Households Should Do Next

Impacted Texans in the 19 approved counties can track FEMA Public Assistance through local officials because the program funds emergency work and public facilities, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Impacted Texans in the 30 counties awaiting Individual Assistance should submit iSTAT information at damage.tdem.texas.gov to help officials identify impacted areas, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Households awaiting Individual Assistance should preserve documentation for temporary housing, emergency home repairs, uninsured and underinsured personal property losses, and medical, dental, and funeral expenses caused by the disaster, because those categories are listed as eligible uses, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Households that need food assistance should review the state’s extension of SNAP replacement benefits for Texans affected by flooding, according to the Office of the Texas Governor.

Sources referenced