Almost three months after intense flooding at the tip of South Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday that President Donald Trump approved disaster assistance to four Texas counties.
The intense downpour of rain, 6-12 inches in 24 hours, trapped hundreds of residents in flooded homes and resulted in the deaths of at least four people.
At the time, Texas’ agriculture commissioner Sid Miller said the damage included significant losses to agriculture and livestock. Thousands of power outages were reported, and more than 20 school districts and college campuses canceled classes.
The federal funding is available to affected individuals in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties. Per the FEMA news release, it includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, programs to help small businesses recover and low-interest loans to assist in covering uninsured losses.
Gov. Greg Abbott also issued a disaster declaration immediately after the incident to assist with rescue and recovery.
Individuals interested in utilizing the federal assistance should file a claim with their insurance company first and then apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362, the release said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.