Travis County Secures Federal Flood Aid, Expands Disaster Order

Travis County has been approved for federal funding to help repair local infrastructure that was damaged during this month’s deadly flash floods.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced in a Saturday news release that both Travis and Hamilton County have been added to the federal disaster declaration to receive FEMA’s Public Assistance Program funding. Travis County Judge Andy Brown also on Saturday updated the county’s disaster declaration with new safety orders to support ongoing cleanup and recovery efforts.

"Our federal partnership is key to help impacted communities in Hamilton and Travis counties and across the state receive crucial public assistance to recover and rebuild," Abbott said in the release. "Texans are resilient, and with the continued support at every level, we will overcome this devastation."

The new approvals add to the 13 counties that have already been OK'd for federal public aid, including Burnet and Williamson.

The public assistance program for FEMA provides financial assistance to municipalities to help pay for repairs to infrastructure, such as roads, parks, bridges and waterways, and support other disaster relief efforts. In order to receive the federal funds, a county, generally, must first complete assessments of the damage done by the disaster to ensure it qualifies for aid, a process that Chief Nim Kidd of the Texas Division of Emergency Management said takes time.

At a news briefing last week, Kidd explained that delays between a disaster and the approval of FEMA funds are typical — and won’t prevent the county from beginning relief and repair efforts, since the funding is often reimbursed after the work is completed.

On Saturday, Brown also updated his disaster declaration, this one on the county-level, to warn citizens to avoid damaged roads. It also banned recreational use of Lake Travis within 100 feet of the mouth of Cow Creek and all of Cow Creek.

The declaration said that "continued support and ongoing recovery efforts are needed to preserve public health," and explained that a violation of the order can result in a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine or up to 180 days in prison.

FEMA’s Individual Assistance, which covers individuals and households recovering from a disaster, is already available in Travis County, along with Burnet, Kerr, San Saba, Tom Green and Williamson counties. Affected Texans who want to apply for disaster relief can do so at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362.