Texas issues disaster declaration for 101 counties

Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 101 counties on June 15 as severe storms, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, hail and tornado threats hit broad stretches of Texas, according to a gubernatorial proclamation. The order authorized the use of state resources and said more counties could be added if conditions warranted. The declaration came as Hill Country communities were marking a year since the July 2025 floods that killed campers, counselors and other residents along the Guadalupe River. At the same time, local officials and state agencies were moving on separate tracks: faster warning systems on the ground, slower changes to state emergency rules. ### Which counties were covered by Abbott’s order? The June 15 proclamation listed 101 counties, including Kerr, Kendall, Gillespie, Travis, Bexar, Harris, Hidalgo, Cameron and Galveston, the governor’s office said. Abbott said the declaration was meant to ensure local officials and communities had access to “the full range of state resources and support.” The governor’s office said the severe weather event began June 14 and included heavy rainfall, flash flooding, hazardous wind gusts, large hail and tornado threats. The proclamation cited Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code. ### What changed in Kerr County after the 2025 floods? Kerr County now has eight new flood-warning sirens near youth camps along the Guadalupe River, Houston Public Media reported on July 8. The stations were installed near camps in the western part of the county, where floodwaters tore through low-lying areas during the July 2025 disaster. Nearly $1 million from county reserve funds helped speed the project so the system could be operating by this summer, Houston Public Media reported. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority, the quasi-government agency involved in the rollout, has been working on the system’s implementation. Camp Mystic was among the sites hit in last year’s flooding, according to Houston Public Media. The outlet reported that 27 campers and counselors and the camp’s co-owner died there. ### Why are lawmakers still being criticized a year later? Hill Country News reported that Texas lawmakers have not adopted recommendations made after the 2025 floods, including stronger training requirements for local emergency coordinators. The same report said lawmakers also had not expanded the state’s authority to vet volunteers who show up after disasters. Those recommendations grew out of post-flood reviews that examined how local emergency management worked during the July 2025 event, according to Hill Country News. The unresolved training issue has become one of the clearest examples cited by critics who say procedural changes have not kept pace with physical upgrades such as sirens. ### What is the state doing on mitigation funding now? The Texas General Land Office posted Amendment 5 to the Mitigation State Action Plan for a 30-day public comment period on July 7, according to the agency. The amendment would create a Mitigation Reallocation Program using unutilized and deobligated federal Community Development Block Grant mitigation funds. Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said in a GLO release that the program is intended to help communities pursue projects that reduce future disaster risk. The agency said all mitigation-eligible counties would be able to apply, subject to criteria in the amended plan. The GLO’s mitigation materials say the funds are meant for projects that increase resilience and reduce long-term risk of death, injury and property loss. Public notices on the agency’s website set the comment deadline for August 6. ### What happens next for Texas communities in the flood zone? August 6 is the deadline for public comments on the GLO amendment, and the agency said it will then submit the plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for approval. Kerr County officials, meanwhile, are moving ahead with siren activation planning as the region enters another period of elevated flood awareness, while Abbott’s June disaster declaration remains the state’s broadest recent response to the current round of severe weather.