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Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration on May 17 for Cameron County residents that were impacted by the severe weather Saturday that carried through the weekend.
One person was killed and 11 others were injured by a tornado that struck Laguna Heights in the early morning hours of May 13, according to a damage survey by the National Weather Service Brownsville-Rio Grande Valley station.
Robert Flores, 41, was killed when a trailer landed on his home. Injured residents were rescued from several demolished mobile homes, including a flattened mobile home on the shore of Laguna Madre.
“To help Texans rebuild and recover, I issued a disaster declaration for Cameron County to help repair property damaged during last week’s severe weather,” Abbott said in the release. “All Texans affected by this storm should report damages through the iSTAT damage survey so state and local officials can determine whether the state qualifies for federal assistance.”
Abbott also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to request joint disaster damage assessments with the U.S. Small Business Administration to determine the state’s eligibility for federal disaster assistance for people whose properties were damaged during the severe weather.
This follows an initial review of affected residents’ self-reported damage assessment through the state’s assessment tool, or iSTAT, which led to state and local officials believing the damage is sufficient to meet requirements for a declaration by the SBA.
The SBA can provide low-interest loans through its disaster programs to eligible people whose homes and businesses were damaged from the severe weather — if the qualifications are met for the SBA to issue an administrative disaster declaration.
The governor’s office also encourages people to self-report property damage using iSTAT at https://damage.tdem.texas.gov/, which is available in English and Spanish.
A disaster assistance center is now open in Cameron County at the Port Isabel Event Center, located at 309 Rail Road St. The center will be operational through 5 p.m. Wednesday.
“I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for their ongoing assistance in Cameron County as the State of Texas continues providing all available support and resources to Texans and the community as they begin moving forward from this storm,” Abbott said in the release.
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