Nearly 500 homes damaged in Texas flooding as federal disaster declaration approved

Crews across Kerr and Kendall counties are shifting from rescue to recovery, clearing debris and repairing roads, after Washington approved the federal disaster declaration requested for 28 counties.

Texas officials have identified about 490 homes and 100 businesses damaged by last week's flooding in Kerr County, Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday, as the state shifts from emergency response into recovery.

The damage assessment follows flash flood emergencies that triggered evacuations across the Texas Hill Country last week, one year after floods killed more than 130 people in the same region. 

President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Texas on Saturday clearing the way for federal disaster assistance in the hardest-hit counties, according to a Federal Emergency Management Agency news release.

Of the roughly 490 homes in Kerr County, 135 were destroyed or suffered major damage, and 219 households have requested cleanup assistance, including debris removal and muck-out services, Abbott said during a news conference in Kerrville, KSAT reported

In neighboring Kendall County, about 100 homes have been damaged so far, a number Abbott said during the news conference, is likely to rise once assessments in Boerne are complete. 

All 13 state-maintained roads in Kerr County that were closed by the flooding have reopened. Repairs are still needed on State Highway 39 and State Highway 16, Texas Department of Transportation officials said.

Officials are watching the Nueces River, which reached a height of about 9 feet Monday morning and was expected to rise another 5 feet, Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said. Evacuations are continuing in Uvalde, with additional concern for Cotulla, Tilden and Carrizo Springs.

About the Author

Sarah Kominek

Head of Content, Stormwater Solutions

Sarah Kominek is the head of content for Stormwater Solutions at Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B. Kominek graduated from Wayne State University in with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a minor in Communication with post-baccalaureate studies in biology. She has worked as a journalist for eight years covering the medical plastics industry and technology, plastics pollution and regulation, the automotive industry, public policy and community news.

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