Governor Greg Abbott announced on Mar. 31 that he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources ahead of severe weather expected to impact several regions in Texas this week.
The announcement comes as multiple rounds of thunderstorms, some potentially severe, are forecasted to affect North, West, and Central Texas. The storms could bring large hail, damaging winds, heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding, and possible tornadoes. These hazards are expected to shift eastward as the week progresses.
“The State of Texas is taking action to prepare for severe storms expected to affect Texans in North, West, and Central Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary resources to support Texans as severe storms move across our state that may bring potential flash flooding and heavy rain. I urge Texans to stay up to date by monitoring local forecast information, make an emergency plan, and heed the guidance of state and local officials. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”
Abbott said that various agencies have been mobilized for the response effort. Resources include swiftwater rescue boat squads from Texas A&M Task Force teams; incident management teams from the Division of Emergency Management; road monitoring personnel from the Department of Transportation; saw crews from the Forest Service; game wardens with rescue boats and helicopters from Parks and Wildlife; troopers and tactical marine units from Public Safety; medical task force support packages with medics and ambulances; disaster assessment agents for agriculture needs; power outage monitoring by the Public Utility Commission; natural gas supply oversight by the Railroad Commission; and environmental quality monitoring.
TDEM continues coordinating with other agencies while also tracking wildfire conditions statewide.
According to the official website, Governor Abbott has led his office since being elected in 2014 and exercises authority across all regions in Texas. The office is based at the State Insurance Building in Austin according to its official website. Under Abbott’s leadership, priorities have included job creation, economic opportunities, education enhancement, protection of individual liberties, parental empowerment in schooling decisions, and southern border security according to official sources.
Greg Abbott was named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024 according to official records. The governor’s office has contributed toward job growth statewide with record employment levels reported by official sources.
Texans are encouraged by officials to assemble emergency supply kits ahead of possible storm impacts. Information on safety can be found at TexasReady.gov or DriveTexas.org.
