On Tuesday, Octover 30th Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting a Presidential
Disaster Declaration for Texas counties heavily impacted by recent severe weather and flooding that caused widespread
damage across the state.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:
I, GREG ABBOTT, Governor of the State of Texas, do hereby certify that the severe weather and flooding event
that began on September 10, 2018, has caused or may cause widespread and severe property damage in Aransas,
Atascosa, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Brazos, Brooks, Brown, Burleson, Burnet,
Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Chambers, Coleman, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, DeWitt, Dimmit,
Duval, Eastland, Edwards, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Fayette, Fort Bend, Frio, Galveston, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales,
Grimes, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Harris, Haskell, Hays, Hidalgo, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Jackson, Jim Hogg,
Jim Wells, Jones, Karnes, Kenedy, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, Lampasas, La Salle, Lavaca, Lee,
Leon, Liberty, Live Oak, Llano, Madison, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Mills, Montgomery, Nolan,
Nueces, Palo Pinto, Parker, Polk, Real, Refugio, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Shackelford, Somervell,
Starr, Stephens, Sutton, Tarrant, Taylor, Throckmorton, Travis, Trinity, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Walker, Waller,
Washington, Webb, Wharton, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala counties.
THEREFORE, in accordance with the authority vested in me by Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code,
I do hereby declare a state of disaster in the previously listed counties.
Pursuant to Section 418.017 of the code, I authorize the use of all available resources of state government and of
political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster.
Pursuant to Section 418.016 of the code, any regulatory statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of state
business or any order or rule of a state agency that would in any way prevent, hinder or delay necessary action in
coping with this disaster shall be suspended upon written approval of the Office of the Governor. However, to the
extent that the enforcement of any state statute or administrative rule regarding contracting or procurement would
impede any state agency’s emergency response that is necessary to protect life or property threatened by this
declared disaster, I hereby authorize the suspension of such statutes and rules for the duration of this declared
disaster.
In accordance with the statutory requirements, copies of this proclamation shall be filed with the applicable authorities.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and have officially caused the Seal of State to be
affixed at my office in the City of Austin, Texas, this the 30th day of October, 2018.
