Biden announces disaster declaration for Texas amid severe weather
By Tal Axelrod - 02/20/21 11:39 AM EST The White House announced Saturday that President Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Texas as the state grapples with severe winter weather.
The move paves the way for more federal resources to make their way to the Lone Star State, which suffered from widespread blackouts and water shortages as sub-freezing temperatures ravaged infrastructure that the state government had failed to winterize.
The declaration will funnel federal funding to 77 of Texas’s 254 counties. It also allows individuals and businesses to apply for federal aid, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and grants to help support temporary housing and repairs for home damages.
The president has already approved states of emergency in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas over the storms, which have killed dozens. The major disaster declaration for Texas will allow for even more support from Washington.
Temperatures are on the rise in Texas, though tens of thousands of residents are still believed to be without electricity and millions are suffering from water disruptions.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has already supplied Texas with 60 generators to support critical sites like hospitals and water facilities, 729,000 liters of water, more than 10,000 wool blankets, 50,000 cotton blankets and 225,000 meals. Biden said he is also hoping to visit Texas soon as long as his trip would not be a “burden†on the state.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/539717-biden-announces-disaster-declaration-for-texas-amid-severe-weather
