Governor Greg Abbott announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved his request for a rural area disaster declaration following severe flooding in July. The affected Texas counties are Coke, Concho, Kendall, Mason, and Sutton.
“With the approval of this disaster declaration, more communities impacted by the devastating floods that took place over the Fourth of July weekend will have access to critical financial assistance they need to recover,” said Governor Abbott. “I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for working with our federal partners to ensure Texans have the support they need to rebuild. Texas will continue to provide all necessary resources to those affected by these catastrophic floods so they can rebuild and move forward.”
The SBA is making available its Home Disaster Loans, Business Physical Disaster Loans, and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. These programs offer low-interest loans to eligible homeowners, renters, and businesses in areas hit by the July flooding.
Residents and business owners can apply online or get more information at sba.gov/disaster. Additional assistance is available through SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or via email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, telecommunications relay services can be accessed by dialing 7-1-1. Completed applications should be sent to the U.S. Small Business Administration Processing and Disbursement Center in Fort Worth.
Governor Abbott has taken several actions in response to recent flooding events across Texas. These include requesting various forms of federal assistance such as extensions for FEMA Individual Assistance registration periods and additional counties being added to major disaster declarations. He has also announced funding efforts with local organizations and visited impacted areas alongside state and federal officials.
Other measures include launching an emotional support line for flood survivors, announcing grant funding for hospitals affected by floods, providing updates on emergency response operations, and deploying state resources ahead of forecasted weather threats.
