Biden decided to declare a major disaster for Texas
U.S. President Joe Biden decided to declare a major disaster for Texas after severe storms hit the state.
President Joe Biden on Friday, May 17, approved a major disaster declaration for Texas following severe storms, flooding, tornadoes and straight-line winds.
Weather conditions have plagued the region for the past three weeks.
The declaration will allow for federal assistance, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and businesses recover from the effects of the disaster.
According to a White House release, residents and business owners who suffered losses in the designated counties of Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity and Waller can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362 or through FEMA’s mobile app.
The major disaster for Texas stems from high winds, rainfall and flash flooding that have caused widespread damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure across Southeast Texas over the past several weeks.
The major disaster declaration for Texas will unlock critical funds to support recovery efforts in the hardest-hit areas.
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Biden decided to declare a major disaster for Texas : Education Affected
Another sector affected was education, in the midst of the major disaster declaration for Texas.
Superintendent Mike Miles, while walking through buildings outside campuses where several trees were down and downed power lines were scattered, stated, “We’re not going to have kids here, of course.”
Miles also mentioned that two students were injured in Thursday’s storms when a Westside High School bus, traveling on Hardy Toll Road, was “lifted and dropped” by the storm.
He also said one of the students suffered a broken shoulder and the second student had cuts and bruises from broken glass flying everywhere.
The bus driver was not injured. Miles noted that the two students and the driver were the only people on the bus during the incident.
In all, about eight HISD schools sustained damage from the storms, according to Miles.
“Over the next two and a half days, the real key for this school is to make sure the building is 100 percent safe, the main building,” Miles said.
Electric System in Texas
But amid the state of major disaster for Texas, the electrical system has been affected leaving thousands of residents without power.
Emergency crews have been working to restore power safely and efficiently.
According to official reports, crews have prioritized restoring power to critical facilities such as hospitals, water treatment plants and utilities vital to the safety, health and welfare of the community.
Once these critical infrastructures have been secured, efforts have focused on repairing power lines that will restore service to as many people as possible.
This strategy seeks to optimize available resources and minimize the impact on affected residents.
Authorities have asked for patience from those still without power, assuring that crews continue to work hard to restore service to all homes and facilities that can safely receive power.
Finally, another issue to be addressed as the major disaster moves forward for Texas is that collection centers and temporary shelters remain open to provide assistance to affected residents.
