Abbott: Southeast Texas storm aftermath 'requires robust, comprehensive action by all levels of government'

Gov. Greg Abbott requested President Joe Biden to issue a disaster declaration on Tuesday in response to a tornado that touched down in Southeast Texas, according to a press release issued by the Office of the Texas Governor. 

A severe weather disturbance generated a tornado that struck some places in the Houston area – most notably the suburbs of Pasadena and Deer Park – on Tuesday, Jan. 24. 

The tornado inflicted massive damage to numerous residences, businesses and vehicles, Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported.

In Abbott’s letter to Biden, the release said, the governor asked for the presidential declaration to include Harris, Jefferson, Liberty and Orange counties.

"The magnitude of damage caused by these storms in Southeast Texas requires robust, comprehensive action by all levels of government to help Texans recover,” Abbott, a Republican, said in the correspondence. “Through a presidential disaster declaration, we will bolster recovery efforts for Texans in Harris, Jefferson, Liberty and Orange counties." 

The state’s request followed damage analysis in the affected four counties, which, in turn, came after Texans’ self-reported disaster damage information through Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) surveys, per the release.

Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed the tornado was first spotted in the vicinity of Interstate 45 (I-45) and Beltway 8 South in southern Harris County before it burst through Pasadena, Deer Park and the Houston Ship Channel. 

While there were no fatalities, hundreds of people were rendered either homeless or without power and water following what was considered the first tornado emergency in the area. 

KPRC reported that the Pasadena Independent School District (PISD) cancelled classes to allow faculty and staff to take care of their families’ needs and assess the unprecedented weather event’s effects on their homes.

According to the governor’s office, he issued a disaster declaration of his own two days after the storm. 

The release said that if the governor’s request for a disaster declaration from the White House is granted, the affected counties’ residents are eligible for a slew of federal resources including, but not limited to individual assistance, crisis counseling and disaster legal assistance.