Governor Greg Abbott is heading to Cotulla in La Salle County to personally survey the destruction left behind by some of the worst flooding to hit south and central Texas in recent memory. The governor is scheduled to arrive around 11:30 a.m. where he will serve meals to displaced residents and brief the public on the state’s ongoing disaster response.
,Abbott has confirmed that nearly 600 homes and 100 businesses were damaged or destroyed across Kerr, Kendall and Comal counties during the floods that have already claimed two lives., ,Kerr County sustained the heaviest blow with nearly 500 homes affected.,
,Floodwaters destroyed or heavily damaged 135 homes in Kerr County alone according to Abbott who conducted a helicopter survey of impacted areas and received briefings from state and local officials.,
,First responders rescued at least 530 people statewide during the flooding event., Among those who did not survive was a driver swept away on a flooded road near Uvalde and 65-year-old John Mark Steward of Kerrville whose mobile home was carried into Goat Creek on the Guadalupe River.
The governor issued a major disaster declaration last Friday unlocking federal relief funds for the region. The declaration currently covers 28 counties with Abbott indicating more could be added as damage assessments continue. Texans wishing to contribute financially to recovery efforts can donate at RebuildTx.org, a state-sponsored 501(c)(3) administered by OneStar Foundation.
,Officials are now closely monitoring the Nueces River which reached approximately 9 feet and was expected to rise an additional five feet., ,Over the coming days top concerns center on Cotulla, Tilden and Carrizo Springs.,
,Abbott made clear that while floodwaters have receded in some areas the focus has shifted to debris removal and rebuilding though downstream flooding remains a serious threat for Cotulla, Tilden and Carrizo Springs.,
Some areas recorded more than two feet of rainfall in just a matter of days. Near Ozona floodwaters overran Interstate 10 and a section of a bridge over the Nueces River in Uvalde County collapsed. Residents in Uvalde returned to homes with up to six feet of standing water inside. Several state highways were shut down across the region.
,Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said investigators are still examining the circumstances after a privately owned barge broke loose during the flooding and struck a bridge in Kerrville. The barge had been used for debris removal from last year’s flooding and has since been recovered while engineers assess the bridge’s condition.,
,Looking ahead the state is also preparing for a tropical system developing in the Gulf of Mexico expected to reach the Texas coast by Friday morning., ,Kidd urged all Texans to stay out of area waterways while dangerous currents persist.