Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez declared a state of disaster for the county on Thursday due to the ongoing drought.
Cortez signed the declaration in his capacity as emergency management director, noting that the county “has suffered exceptional drought conditions that pose a threat of imminent disaster,” a news release from the county said.
The declaration went into effect immediately and will last for seven days, pending a vote from the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court for an extension.
“We are all aware of the dangerously dry conditions in Hidalgo County and this declaration acknowledges that everyone must pitch in to conserve one of our most precious resources: our water,” Cortez said in the release.
The disaster declaration comes just over a month after Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster proclamation on July 8, citing exceptional drought conditions throughout Texas.
“The Hidalgo County proclamation paves the way for local jurisdictions to be reimbursed by state and federal agencies for costs associated with the drought, such as the need to truck in water,” the release said.
Although the county does not have statutory control over the water in the area, Cortez said that the declaration will publicize the critical need for water conservation. Many local jurisdictions have already begun conservation efforts by issuing water restrictions for their residents.
