Obama approves federal money for flooded Texas counties

﻿Floodwaters from the Brazos River surround a home on Saturday after heavy rains pounded the area again last week. ﻿ ﻿Floodwaters from the Brazos River surround a home on Saturday after heavy rains pounded the area again last week. ﻿ Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff Image 1 of / 120 Caption Close Obama approves federal money for flooded Texas counties 1 / 120 Back to Gallery

President Barack Obama on Saturday approved a request from Gov. Greg Abbott for federal aid for the Texas counties hardest hit by the latest run of storms that flooded thousands of homes and streets with reckless force.

Obama declared a major federal disaster in the 12 counties, including Brazoria, Fort Bend and Montgomery, where the powerful storms and flooding swamped cars, ruined houses and businesses, washed out roads and snapped trees and power poles.

The president already had declared disasters in many of the same places after flooding in April - an unfortunate fact that Abbott highlighted in his letter requesting another round of federal help.

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"I would like to thank the President and FEMA for their quick response in granting assistance to those affected by the severe weather and flooding of the past couple weeks," Abbott said Saturday in a statement. "Texans have always risen to meet the challenges they face and this time will be no different. With this latest development Texans can now begin the process of rebuilding their lives after experiencing some of the worst flooding in recent history."

The president granted money for sheltering and local and state response costs. Additional money for debris remains on hold as water continues to recede and pending additional damage assessments.

Other counties may be added to the request once they meet the threshold required by the federal government.

With a presidential declaration, people whose homes were damaged or destroyed can apply for a grant up to $33,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The amount will depend on the severity of the reported damage.

In addition to repair costs, some aid can be used for certain medical expenses, funeral costs and damage to clothing or household items, among other losses.

Abbott has declared a disaster state in 46 counties since June 1, but his request for federal aid only covers those with storm-related damage "of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments."

Abbott wrote that the most recent storms, which began May 26, dumped up to 20 inches of rain in parts of Southeast Texas that typically receive between 40 and 50 inches of rain a year.

Brenham alone had 16 inches on the first day of the storms, shattering the Washington County city's one-day rainfall record by more than 6 inches.

At least 20 deaths

To make matters worse, the region has been pounded with heavy rain for weeks, so the ground already was saturated, the rivers, bayous and creeks already brimming. This latest rain had nowhere to settle.

By the time the Brazos River crested June 4 near Rosharon, it was nearly 10 feet above flood stage, the Nation Weather Service said. Officials expected the river to remain out of its banks through at least Wednesday as the high water makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Cypress Creek and the Colorado, San Jacinto and Trinity rivers also reached major flood stages.

The severe storms were blamed for at least 20 deaths, including nine soldiers who were killed when their truck was overturned by swift water near Fort Hood, north of Austin.

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A Montgomery County man, 77, was swept away while walking outside. In Washington County, the body of a 21-year-old Guardsman was found downstream from where his overturned truck had been located earlier.

"Texas is suffering from disaster fatigue," wrote Abbott, who promised to push for federal relief after an aerial tour of flooded areas near Houston a week ago. "There seems to be nowhere safe from the most recent severe weather."

In all, Abbott said the flooding threatened nearly 90,000 homes and forced mandatory evacuations in Bastrop, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Hood, Parker and Wharton counties.

Officials estimated that the flooding destroyed or damaged more than 5,500 houses and nearly 300 businesses.

Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal said in a statement that he is "very hopeful" that the federal government will move quickly with disaster aid, "given the extent of the damage" from the floods, which ruined nearly 900 homes in the suburban county.

Fort Bend County Judge Robert Hebert said the county was "very pleased" by the governor's request. "Those folks are going to need all the help they can get," he said.

While a majority of Fort Bend County residents have returned to life as usual as the floodwaters receded this week, Hebert said as many as 30,000 people are continuing to confront the aftermath of "real disaster."

The county reported damage to more than 1,200 homes. There also was roughly $14 million in damage to roads, bridges and water systems, "and that number will only grow," Hebert said.

Water receding

In Brazoria County, the flooding has affected at least 100,000 residents, or roughly one-third of its population, officials said. Floodwaters inundated or cut off hundreds of homes in a slow rise that spread from near Rosharon to Lake Jackson.

The water continued to recede Friday, but officials expected levels to remain high in the south county for days.

"There are areas that are going to have water for several days," said Sharon Trower, spokeswoman for Brazoria County's Office of Emergency Management. "Weeks, possibly."

Harvey Rice and Emily Foxhall contributed to this report.