Hundreds of Central Texas families are struggling to rebuild their lives six weeks after devastating flooding struck the region for the second consecutive year and a federal disaster declaration from President Trump has yet to materialize.
Governor Greg Abbott formally requested a major disaster declaration from the White House following the July 2025 floods which damaged nearly 400 homes and numerous businesses across the area. Without that declaration residents remain unable to access individual FEMA assistance funding.
William Whitson a senior consultant for the Kerr Together Long-Term Recovery Group says the delay is unlike anything he has witnessed in over a dozen major disaster recovery efforts including Hurricane Harvey. He described the mood on the ground as one of frustration and despair as volunteer resources and community support begin to run thin.
Kerr County Commissioner Rich Paces wrote directly to President Trump noting that local authorities had improved their emergency response systems since last year’s floods and successfully evacuated residents and visitors before the waters rose. Despite those preparations he warned that Kerr County simply does not have the financial capacity to absorb the impact of two consecutive major disasters.
Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz jointly sent a letter to the White House in July urging federal action. Congressman Chip Roy has also been in direct contact with the White House the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget pressing for the declaration to be issued.
A White House spokesperson responded by stating that President Trump carefully evaluates each request under the Stafford Act to ensure federal tax dollars supplement rather than replace state and local responsibilities. The statement also emphasized the administration’s focus on encouraging states to invest in disaster resilience before emergencies occur.
Texas state officials including Governor Abbott maintain that the scale of destruction exceeds what the state can handle on its own. Whitson echoed that position saying residents need reassurance that help is on the way and that they have not been forgotten by their government.
The 2025 flooding came almost exactly one year after the region suffered catastrophic losses in a similar disaster drawing national attention to the vulnerability of Central Texas communities along flood-prone waterways. Recovery experts say the back-to-back events have compounded the financial and emotional toll on residents who were still in the process of rebuilding from the first disaster when the second one hit.
