FEMA reverses course: individual aid approved for 20 Texas counties after July floods
The federal government has approved individual disaster aid for residents of 20 Texas counties hit by severe storms and flooding in July, Governor Greg Abbott announced on 30 October, reversing an earlier decision to deny the help.
The approval followed an appeal by the Texas Division of Emergency Management after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) turned down the state’s first request for Individual Assistance. The amended disaster declaration covers damage from severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding between 12 July and 14 August.
The 20 counties are Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Crockett, Dimmit, Frio, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, Medina, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Uvalde, Val Verde and Zavala. Texas reported more than 3,700 homes and small businesses affected, with damage validated at 2,944 properties, including 132 destroyed and 618 with major damage.
Why it matters
Individual Assistance is the part of federal disaster aid that goes directly to households, rather than to governments for roads and debris clearance. It can help pay for temporary housing, emergency home repairs and uninsured property losses, as well as disaster unemployment help, legal services and medical, dental or funeral costs.
For some Hill Country communities, it is a second blow: they were still rebuilding from the catastrophic flooding of July 2025, which killed more than 100 people, when the July 2026 storms hit again. Survivors had waited months while the appeal was decided.
What happens next
Residents in the 20 counties can now apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, through the FEMA mobile app, or by calling 800-621-3362. FEMA advises people to file an insurance claim first and to keep repair estimates, receipts and photographs of their losses.
Approval of the declaration does not guarantee that every applicant or expense will qualify. A separate Texas appeal for Hazard Mitigation grant funding, for projects to reduce damage from future disasters, is still pending.
Sources
- https://www.einpresswire.com/article/953535962/governor-abbott-announces-additional-federal-disaster-assistance-following-july-storms-and-flooding (EIN Presswire, Office of Governor Greg Abbott release, 31 October 2026)
- https://aframnews.com/uncategorized/fema-individual-aid-20-texas-counties-state-appeal/ (Afram News, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/fema-wont-help-texans-after-july-2026-floods-as-agency-tells-states-to-lead-disaster-response/ (San Antonio Current / The Texas Tribune, 22 October 2026)
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
