AUSTIN, Texas — Kerr County officials are urging President Donald Trump to approve Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s request for a federal major disaster declaration following the July 2026 floods, saying the damage has overwhelmed communities already recovering from last year’s deadly flooding.
Kerr County Commissioner Rich Paces described the damage as “overwhelming” in a letter to Trump supporting Abbott’s July 17 request. The declaration would make federal assistance available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency for infrastructure repairs, debris removal and eligible assistance to individuals and businesses.
Abbott requested federal assistance for about 30 Texas counties affected by the floods. Nearly three weeks after the request, the White House had not announced whether Trump would approve it.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said the administration reviews disaster requests under the Stafford Act to determine whether federal assistance is appropriate and whether states have met their responsibilities to respond to disasters.
Texas estimated the cost of responding to the July floods at $489.7 million, according to Abbott’s request.
The state must meet a federal damage threshold of $56,542,279.70 to qualify for public assistance, according to an executive guide from the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Counties also must meet individual thresholds. Kerr County’s threshold stands at $255,626.28.
If a county does not initially meet the threshold, state officials can work with the county to verify its damage estimates and submit additional information to the federal government.
The July flooding caused less loss of life in Kerr County than the 2025 Independence Day floods, which killed 119 people in the county. One person died in Kerr County during this year’s flooding.
Paces said, however, that the county faces extensive damage and another major debris-removal effort. He said many residents and businesses that were still recovering from last year’s floods suffered additional losses this year.
The county reported more than 1,600 individual property damage cases to the state, Paces said. He also said the county sustained millions of dollars in infrastructure damage.
“We’re faced with another massive debris problem again this year,” Paces said.
FEMA offers several forms of disaster assistance. Its Public Assistance program can provide grants for debris removal, emergency protective measures and repairs to public infrastructure. Individual Assistance can help eligible residents with disaster-related needs that insurance or other assistance does not cover.
FEMA also provides disaster-related low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration for eligible homeowners and businesses.
Eligibility for individual assistance depends on several factors, including whether the damage resulted from a federally declared disaster and whether insurance or other resources can cover the losses.
TDEM is asking Texans who suffered flood-related property damage to complete a state damage survey to help officials assess the extent of the losses.
Local governments also must use available resources before seeking federal assistance, said Jim Redick, director of Austin Emergency Management.
The federal recovery process can take years. Austin, for example, received FEMA funding in March for a project connected to the city’s 2015 Halloween floods.
