Texas and the federal government have begun assessing the damage caused by storms after a series of storms hit rural East Texas and Houston.
There were three confirmed deaths related to the storms including a Conroe police officer who died after a tornado hit his home in Trinity County, a 4-year-old boy in Johnson County, and a man in Bosque County.
During a press conference, Gov. Greg Abbott and the state’s emergency director Nim Kidd, urged residents to report damaged property to their insurance companies and the state.
Abbott declared emergencies in 91 counties following the spring storms, with more than 230 local, state, and federal agencies involved in rescue operations, evacuating 124 people and rescuing 58. Hundreds more were rescued by local first responders and volunteers.
According to Abbott, more than 50 state roads and highways remained impassable; 43 were closed at certain points due to flooding and another 14 were closed due to damage.
Officials urged residents to be careful as they returned to their homes and property and obey road closures if necessary.
The Texas Division of Emergency Management is accepting self-reported surveys, which residents can find online under “Spring Severe Weather and Flooding Event” to specify the damages.
Texas needs to report 800 uninsured homes that sustained damage to qualify for federal assistance, Kidd said. It also needs to demonstrate the state suffered $54 million in uninsured damage to government infrastructure.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency can award up to $75,000 in grants for repairs, Kidd said. Thus far, only 501 people have registered a claim with their flood insurance.