Texas Gov. Abbott Announces FEMA Approval for Federal Emergency Declaration Ahead of Tropical Storm Laura, Marco Landfall

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 25 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on Aug. 24:

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and President Trump have granted a Federal Emergency Declaration request for Public Assistance Category B (Emergency Protective Measures).

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care including evacuation and shelter support at 75 percent federal funding.

The Governor submitted this request yesterday https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-holds-briefing-press-conference-on-hurricane-marco-and-tropical-storm-laura-requests-federal-emergency-declaration.

"Texas is grateful to President Trump and our partners at FEMA for quickly granting this Federal Emergency Declaration," said Governor Abbott. "As Tropical Storms Marco and Laura head towards the coast, the State of Texas is working with local and federal partners to ensure our communities have the resources they need to respond to these storms."

Tropical Storm Marco was downgraded from a hurricane overnight. Tropical Storm Laura is expected to rapidly intensify as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico and could make landfall along the Texas Coast as a Category 2 or Category 3 Hurricane, producing life-threatening storm surge. Both tropical systems pose serious flood risks to the Texas Coast and Southeast Texas.