Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has instructed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to mobilize state emergency response resources in anticipation of severe weather and flooding expected throughout the week. The National Weather Service predicts that large areas of Texas will experience severe storms until Wednesday, with flood risks persisting into late-week. The potential impacts include large hail, damaging winds, possible tornadoes, excessive rainfall, and flash flooding.

Governor Abbott emphasized the state's readiness to support its residents: "Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary resources to support Texans as severe storms move across our state that will bring potential flash flooding and heavy rain." He urged Texans to stay informed about weather conditions, check road statuses regularly, and follow guidance from state and local officials for their safety.

The Governor has made several state emergency response resources available to assist local operations. These include:

- Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service's Swiftwater Rescue Boat Squads and Urban Search and Rescue Teams.

- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's game wardens, rescue boat teams, and helicopters equipped for flood rescues.

- Texas Department of Public Safety's helicopters with hoist capabilities, Highway Patrol Troopers, and Tactical Marine Unit.

- Texas Department of Transportation personnel monitoring road conditions.

- Texas A&M Forest Service's saw crews for clearing roadways.

- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agents for agricultural support.

- Public Utility Commission of Texas for power outage monitoring.

- Railroad Commission of Texas overseeing natural gas supply communications.

- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality monitoring air, water, and wastewater conditions.

- Texas Department of State Health Services' Severe Weather Support Packages including medics and ambulances.

Residents are encouraged to develop an emergency plan, prepare a supply kit, and heed instructions from local authorities. Resources such as DriveTexas.org provide road condition updates; flood safety information is available at TexasFlood.org; general preparedness tips can be found at tdem.texas.gov/prepare.