Governor Greg Abbott today announced a disaster declaration for residents in Hidalgo County impacted by the severe storms that caused property damage on April 28. “The State of Texas is ready to provide all available resources and support for Texans in Hidalgo County as they rebuild and recover from severe storm damage last month,” said Governor Abbott. “This disaster declaration will help those impacted to move forward, recover from property damage, and continue to rebuild from severe storm damage. I urge all Texans affected by this storm to report damages to the iSTAT damage survey so state and local officials can continue to assess reported damage to determine whether the state qualifies for federal assistance.” Additionally, the Governor directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to request joint disaster damage assessments with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to determine the state’s eligibility for federal disaster assistance for Texans whose properties were damaged during the April 28 storm. Following an initial review of damage assessment information self-reported by Texans through the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT), state and local officials believe the damage is sufficient to meet requirements for a declaration by the SBA. If the damage sustained qualifies for an SBA administrative disaster declaration, the SBA can provide low-interest loans through its disaster programs to eligible Texans whose homes and businesses were damaged during the severe weather. Texans are encouraged to self-report property damage using iSTAT at damage.tdem.texas.gov. The survey can be filled out in English and Spanish. Read the Governor’s disaster declaration.