Abbott said the emergency funds, which will be administered through the Texas Division of Emergency Management, with help from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, will help alleviate the financial burden on communities across 122 counties that the recent disasters hit the hardest. Abbott cited a shortage of funding through FEMA and delayed reimbursements for eligible expenses as reasons impacted communities would benefit from the emergency funds.
“As many across the country experience a lack of and delayed funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Texas is providing $50 million in emergency funds to assist impacted communities in their ongoing efforts to remove debris,” Abbott said in a press release.
“FEMA has the necessary resources to meet the immediate needs associated with Hurricane Helene and other disasters,” a statement from the Department of Homeland Security said.
The emergency funding is also supported by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Texas Representative Dade Phelan, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, Senate Finance Committee Chair Joan Huffman and House Appropriations Chair Dr. Greg Bonnen. The funding will be sourced from the Waste Management Account and will go toward previous and current debris removal accounts and similar activities across disaster-declared counties.
When Hurricane Beryl raged through Houston, it left behind enough debris to fill the NRG stadium. That’s 4.1 million cubic yards. Storm debris consists of broken and scattered vegetation left after a storm. It is separate from bulk waste and demolition debris, which includes garbage and damaged construction, roads and roofing.
In his support of the move, Hegar pointed to the importance of immediate assistance to disaster-impacted communities, which he said can sometimes fall victim to delayed action when disagreements over funding choices crop up among elected officials.
“In the aftermath of storms like these, questions about funding can lead to significant delays in recovery efforts and timelines,” said Comptroller Hegar. “These delays can have disastrous long-term ramifications for local and regional economies.”
