Governor Greg Abbott | Facebook
Governor Greg Abbott | Facebook
Governor Greg Abbott has formally requested a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for communities in North Texas affected by recent severe weather events. The request is aimed at providing federal assistance through disaster loans to Dallas County and its neighboring counties following tornadoes, thunderstorms, and damaging winds that struck earlier this month.
"This disaster declaration will be a critical step for Texans and communities in North Texas to recover and rebuild after extreme weather earlier this month," stated Governor Abbott. He emphasized that the SBA's approval would enable affected residents in Dallas County and surrounding areas to access essential low-interest loans. Governor Abbott expressed gratitude towards the Texas Division of Emergency Management for collaborating with local officials to ensure eligibility requirements are met for additional financial aid.
Should the request be approved, the SBA will offer low-interest loans under its disaster programs to eligible individuals whose homes and businesses were impacted by the severe weather conditions, which included tornadoes, thunderstorms, and straight-line winds.
The governor's request follows an assessment of damage carried out by local, state, and federal officials. This evaluation confirmed that Dallas County satisfies the federally-mandated criteria necessary for SBA assistance. Additionally, officials reviewed data on disaster damages submitted by residents through the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) surveys.
Governor Abbott remains committed to providing all available resources to support local communities affected by early March's severe weather incidents. His actions include requesting SBA officials join state and local partners for joint preliminary damage assessments in impacted areas, activating the State Operations Center ahead of severe weather threats in North and East Texas, and deploying state emergency response resources before severe weather conditions arise.
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