Latest news with #TexasDivisionofEmergencyManagement
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Abbott encourages Texans to participate in emergency supplies tax-free weekend
Apr. 24—AUSTIN — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) on Thursday encouraged Texans to participate in this year's Emergency Supplies Sales Tax Holiday starting Saturday, April 26, through Monday, April 28. "Having emergency supplies on-hand is one of the best ways Texans can keep themselves and their loved ones safe during emergency weather events," Abbott said in a news release. "I encourage all Texans to take advantage of this tax-free holiday to purchase emergency supplies, such as flashlights, first aid kids, or fire extinguishers, in order to be prepared for any potential severe weather or disasters." The Emergency Supplies Sales Tax Holiday was established in 2015 after Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 904 into law. It allows Texans to purchase certain emergency preparation supplies tax free, in-store or online, during the designated weekend each year. The Texas Comptroller's website contains more information about eligible items and qualifying purchases. With spring storms in the forecast and hurricane season beginning on June 1, Texans are encouraged to take advantage of this annual opportunity and proactively prepare an emergency supply kit. Texans are urged to review disaster preparedness tips at and visit to locate information on emergency planning resources, including guidance on assembling a supply kit.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Winona Community Center opens for storm relief following severe weather
SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — After Smith County was hit by severe storms on Friday and more coming its way on Saturday, officials will open the Winona Community Center to help residents. 25,000 without power in East Texas after severe weather County officials said about 1,400 people are without power in the Winona area and will have Smith County Community Emergency Response Team man the center from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. providing residents with snacks and the ability to charge their phones. People who suffered damages to their homes or businesses can report it to the Texas Division of Emergency Management thought the iSTAT Damage Surveys. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Gov. Greg Abbott activates emergency resources ahead of possible flooding, storms this weekend
The Brief There is a chance of severe weather across the state this weekend. The National Weather Service says there is a chance for flash flooding and even tornadoes. Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources with increased threats of severe weather and flash flooding across the state this weekend. Why you should care Heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding in North Texas and across the state starting tonight and going through Saturday. Severe storms could bring hail, strong winds and even tornadoes. Some areas in the Panhandle could see snowfall this weekend. On Friday, Gov. Abbott activated more than 700 emergency responders and 300 pieces of equipment across the state to be ready for any severe weather. The resources will go in place to help local units. Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2): Swiftwater Rescue Boat Squads, and Flood Water Boat Squads Texas Division of Emergency Management: The State of Texas Incident Management Team, Incident Support Task Force, Disaster Recovery Task Force, and regional personnel to support deployed emergency response resources across the state Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens, rescue boat teams, and helicopters with hoist capability to assist with flood rescues Texas Department of Public Safety: Helicopters with hoist capabilities, Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, and the Tactical Marine Unit Texas National Guard: Personnel and high-profile vehicles to assist stranded motorists Texas A&M Forest Service (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System): Local, state, and out of state firefighters and support personnel, fire engines, bulldozers, and motor graders; federally contracted firefighting aircraft, including large air tankers for retardant drops, single-engine air tankers for water drops, air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting, helicopters with firefighting capability, fire bosses and an aerial supervision module for aerial guidance Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Severe Weather and Wildland Fire Support Packages consisting of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents as well as County Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs Texas Animal Health Commission: Coordinating animal resource needs Texas Department of Agriculture: Coordinating agricultural resource needs Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel monitoring road conditions and pretreating roadways Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state's natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Personnel to provide information on available services through the 2-1-1 Texas Information Referral Network Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring technology infrastructure The Source Information in this article comes from the FOX 4 Weather team and the Office of Governor Greg Abbott.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Texas Governor activates additional state emergency response resources ahead of severe weather this weekend
The Brief Additional state emergency response resources have been activated ahead of increased threats of severe weather and flash flooding in large portions of the state. Heavy rainfall with the potential to cause flash flooding is expected across a large portion of the state of Texas. HOUSTON - Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced the activation of additional state emergency response resources ahead of increased threats of severe weather and flash flooding in large portions of the state starting on Friday and going through the weekend. What they're saying "As severe weather threatens communities throughout Texas, the State of Texas stands ready to assist local officials to keep Texans safe," said Governor Abbott. "Today, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate additional state resources to support local officials and first responders during this severe weather event. Texans should remain vigilant, heed warnings from local authorities, and have an emergency plan for severe storms, flash flooding, tornadoes, and winter weather. Texas will continue to monitor these evolving threats to ensure communities have the resources and support they need to respond to this severe weather event." Big picture view According to the National Weather Service, heavy rainfall with the potential to cause flash flooding is expected across large areas of Texas beginning today through Saturday night. Severe storms are also anticipated to bring additional threats across large portions of Texas, including large hail, damaging winds, and possible tornadoes that can be hazardous. Additionally, portions of the Panhandle are expected to experience snowfall, causing potential for disruptions. Wildfire danger remains a concern in some areas of Southwest Texas. Texans are encouraged to monitor local forecasts over the next several days. Under the direction of Governor Abbott, more than 700 state emergency responders and over 300 pieces of equipment have mobilized to support the state's severe weather, winter weather, and wildfire response operations across Texas. At the Governor's direction, the following state emergency response resources remain prepared to support local response operations:• Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1 and Texas Task Force 2): Swiftwater Rescue Boat Squads, and Flood Water Boat Squads• Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM): The State of Texas Incident Management Team, Incident Support Task Force, Disaster Recovery Task Force, and regional personnel to support deployed emergency response resources across the state• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens, rescue boat teams, and helicopters with hoist capability to assist with flood rescues• Texas Department of Public Safety: Helicopters with hoist capabilities, Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, and the Tactical Marine Unit• Texas National Guard: Personnel and high-profile vehicles to assist stranded motorists• Texas A&M Forest Service (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System): Local, state, and out of state firefighters and support personnel, fire engines, bulldozers, and motor graders; federally contracted firefighting aircraft, including large air tankers for retardant drops, single-engine air tankers for water drops, air attack platforms for surveillance and spotting, helicopters with firefighting capability, fire bosses and an aerial supervision module for aerial guidance• Texas Department of State Health Services (Texas Emergency Medical Task Force): Severe Weather and Wildland Fire Support Packages consisting of medics, ambulances, and all-terrain vehicles• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents as well as County Extension Agents to support agricultural and livestock needs• Texas Animal Health Commission: Coordinating animal resource needs• Texas Department of Agriculture: Coordinating agricultural resource needs• Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel monitoring road conditions and pretreating roadways• Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers• Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state's natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring• Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Personnel to provide information on available services through the 2-1-1 Texas Information Referral Network• Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring technology infrastructureThe Texas State Emergency Operations Center (SOC) remains activated at Level II (Escalated Response) as to support local officials with response to severe storms, winter weather, and wildfire danger. What you can do Texans are encouraged to follow instructions from local officials, make an emergency plan, and prepare an emergency supply kit. Texans can check road conditions at locate flood and severe weather safety information at access flood information at and find general preparedness tips at The Source Information from a news release from Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Texas' Rio Grande Valley didn't see last week's historic storms coming
EDINBURG — At 2 a.m. Friday, Rick Saldaña was traveling back to Edinburg from Mercedes, a city about 26 miles away, in an area known as the Mid-Valley. The roads were flooded. The frontage roads that feed into the expressway resembled lakes. Hundreds of cars were abandoned by people unable to drive further. The rain kept coming. Winds reached about 60 miles per hour and Saldaña could barely see anything. "It came with a vengeance," he said. Saldaña is the emergency management coordinator for Hidalgo County. In his office in Edinburg, county workers and staff from the Texas Division of Emergency Management were still just at the beginning of what is expected to be a long road to recovery. The effects from the rainfall killed at least six people. Four died from drowning in the Valley and in Reynosa, Mexico, and two from a house fire suspected of starting from a lightning strike. Hundreds more required rescue from their flooded homes or vehicles. By Monday, three days after the storm, several neighborhoods still remained underwater. [More than 100 Texas counties lack plans to curb damage from natural disasters] Assessments of the total damage are still underway, but Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for the four counties of the Valley. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was on the ground Wednesday to make their assessment. Preliminary reports suggest the damage and recovery totals from the flood would likely exceed $100 million, according to the National Weather Service Brownsville. "We were predicted to get no more than one to two inches of rain," Saldaña said. "For whatever reason, it shifted. It shifted our way." Big storms have hit the Rio Grande Valley region in South Texas before. The most recent in Saldaña's memory was 2018. March and April when the seasons change can be precarious, he said. "To me, those are scarier because you have no time to plan, versus with a hurricane, they give you ample time to start monitoring," he said. "These come in as surprises, and that's what happened. It surprised all of us." Saldaña said the county has made significant strides in improving the drainage system since then by widening the drainage canals to expand the amount of water that can flow through them. But what the area saw last week was a 100-year flood, he said. "Our drainage system couldn't support it," he said. "It doesn't make a difference if you have the world's best drainage system." Between March 26 and 28, the Valley received nearly 20 inches of rain, crushing prior daily, multi-day, and monthly March records in many areas. In a few locations, the amount of rainfall even rivaled the all-time two-day record set by the historic Hurricane Beulah in 1967, according to Barry Goldsmith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Brownsville. Meteorologists knew rain was coming. The surprise was where it fell. Forecasts had the storm over the Coastal Bend toward brush country, Goldsmith said. "It wasn't until, really, within 12 hours that we were like 'Oh no, it's going toward the Valley now,'"he said. Even at that point, they didn't know exactly which county or which portion of the Valley was going to get hit. "It wasn't until the game was underway that we were able to tell people this is going to be really bad in parts of the Valley," he said. A National Weather Service report on the storm acknowledged that their models were off, noting that even the areas predicted to be the strongest hit by the storm were only expected to receive 7-12 inches. The report explained that the dynamics of the fast-flowing, high-altitude air currents — that are most typical in the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast regions of the U.S. — led to high-energy, recharging of the atmosphere that caused repeated rounds of rainfall and severe weather. The heaviest rains fell in Cameron County which sustained the most damage where the Valley International Airport in Harlingen had to close for multiple days due to flooding on the runways. Other reports of severe weather included a tornado that briefly touched down in Hidalgo County. The devastation extended to farmers as well. Despite longing for rain to sustain their animals and crops during a prolonged period of drought, the huge volume of rain likely destroyed existing crops. "Torrential storms produced devastating rainfall totals, causing widespread destruction and posing a severe threat to Valley residents, farmers, and ranchers," Sid Miller, the Texas agriculture commissioner, said in a statement. "In addition to extensive damage to homes, vehicles, and infrastructure, the region is also facing significant agricultural and livestock losses." Sonny Hinojosa, water advocate with the Hidalgo County Irrigation District No. 2, said many crops were already up and the flooding likely killed those plants. "Poor farmers, they're taking a beating," Hinojosa said. "First, they're short on irrigation water and then you get a flood event like this and it drowns whatever crop you have.' There is a silver lining. One of the reservoirs that provides water to Valley farmers, the Falcon International Reservoir, received 45,663 acre-feet of water from the rain, growing from 11.2% to 12.8% of its capacity. It's just a fraction, Hinojosa said. However, if the U.S. receives half of those gains, it could provide three to four weeks of irrigation water for farmers. 'They rose a bit,' Goldsmith said of the water levels at the Falcon reservoir. 'But they're still well below what's needed to help improve the water resource situation that's facing the Valley.' Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is supported in part by the Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
