SAN ANTONIO – Governor Greg Abbott announced he has extended the state’s response and has deployed recovery resources across northeast Texas to aid in storm recovery efforts.
According to the Associated Press, tornadoes tore through northeastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma overnight Friday into Saturday, killing at least one, injuring others, and leaving homes and buildings in ruins.
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Abbott announced the relief efforts in a press release Saturday afternoon.
The storm recovery resources include the following, according to Abbott’s office:
- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service: Texas A&M Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2 Search and Rescue Teams, and the Texas A&M Public Works Response Team
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Saw Crews and heavy equipment for debris clearing
- Texas Department of State Health Services: Texas Emergency Medical Task Force Severe Weather Packages, including Medical Ambulance Buses and Ambulances
- Texas Department of Transportation: Crews and equipment clearing debris from roadways
- Texas Department of Public Safety: State Troopers and Helicopters for aerial damage surveys
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens
- Public Utility Commission of Texas: Personnel monitoring power outages and coordinating power restoration with utility providers in impacted areas
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Personnel working with local officials to monitor drinking water, wastewater, and air quality
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents
- Texas Division of Emergency Management: Field Personnel, Disaster Recovery Task Force, and Mass Care Coordination in support of local officials
- Texas A&M University - Commerce: Personnel supporting damage assessments in impacted areas
The response comes after Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy state resources to support local officials’ response to the severe weather.
“The State of Texas stands with Texans and communities impacted by yesterday’s and last night’s severe weather across northeast Texas, and I have deployed all available resources to help respond and recover,” said Abbott in a statement. “I thank all of our hardworking state and local emergency management personnel for their swift response to keep Texans safe and for their continued service in helping Texans recover in the aftermath of these storms.”
Anyone who was affected by the severe weather can report damage to TDEM’s Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) survey, so resources needed can be provided to the community to recover.