Disaster Declarations Still in Effect After Harvey

Nearly a year after the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, Governor Greg Abbott once again extended a disaster declaration for Texas counties affected by the hurricane. On Tuesday, August 7, 2018, Gov. Abbott issued a proclamation that the disaster declaration for 60 counties affected by Harvey last August would be renewed.

The declaration, first issued on August 23, 2017, was first renewed on September 20, 2017, and has since been extended by the governor on a monthly basis. In order for assistance to remain available for the counties affected, state disaster declarations must be renewed every 30 days. Under the extended proclamation, all 60 counties will continue to be eligible for assistance.

Nearly a year later, the effects of the storm can still be seen. Hurricane Harvey was the costliest natural disaster in 2017, causing $125 billion in damage. Many families near the Texas coast are still rebuilding their homes, while others chose not to rebuild at all and instead opted to sell flood-damaged houses. Still more families are now choosing to elevate their homes, a pricey solution that could prevent even pricier damage.

As the Texas coast continues to recover from the damage it suffered, it is crucial that home and business owners have access to as much assistance as possible. As it stands, less than 20% of Harvey victims had flood insurance in place when the hurricane hit.

While Hurricane Harvey swept through in a matter of days, it will take much longer still to pick up the pieces it left behind.

The path of Hurricane Harvey beginning at about 7:00 pm on August 24, 2017, and ending around 11:00 am on August 28, 2017. Source: NOAA Satellite and Information Service