Texas has requested federal participation in preliminary damage assessments for Bexar County communities hit by severe storms in late August, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday.
The review will determine whether the damage meets federal-assistance thresholds. No SBA disaster declaration has been approved for this event, and residents who experienced losses are being asked to document them through the state’s online reporting system.
Federal Officials Asked to Join Damage Review
Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to ask the U.S. Small Business Administration to join state and local officials conducting the assessments, according to the governor’s September 2 announcement.
“These assessments will determine whether Texas meets the threshold for federal disaster assistance,” Abbott said.
Officials will examine damage to homes, businesses, and other property as they calculate the scale and financial effect of the storms. The assessment is an early step in the process and does not constitute a disaster declaration or guarantee that assistance will become available.
If a qualifying declaration is issued, the SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to eligible homeowners, renters, businesses, and private nonprofit organizations for losses not fully covered by insurance or other sources. Homeowners may qualify for loans of up to $500,000 to repair or replace a primary residence, while homeowners and renters may borrow up to $100,000 for damaged personal property. Businesses may qualify for physical-damage loans of up to $2 million.
Storm Caused Flooding and Widespread Outages
Severe weather struck the San Antonio area during the evening of August 28, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, flooding, fallen trees, and extensive electrical damage.
By 4 p.m. the following day, CPS Energy was responding to 653 outages affecting approximately 63,000 customers and had received 250 reports of downed wires, according to a joint storm-recovery update from the utility and the City of San Antonio.
City crews worked to remove trees and debris from public rights of way, while six overnight resilience hubs provided residents with electricity, device charging, basic supplies, and places to escape the heat. VIA Metropolitan Transit offered free transportation to the hubs and other cooling locations.
San Antonio officials also reported that two people were swept into rapidly moving water in San Pedro Creek during the storm. One was rescued, while a 46-year-old woman was later found dead from an apparent drowning. Police were also investigating a possible storm-related drowning at Woodlawn Lake, according to a subsequent city update.
Residents Asked to Submit Damage Reports
Bexar County residents can report residential, commercial, or agricultural losses through TDEM’s Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool. The survey allows users to describe damage and upload photographs.
TDEM has said information submitted through iSTAT helps officials measure the extent of a disaster, identify immediate resource needs, and determine whether federal-assistance requirements have been met. The agency’s guidance cautions that completing the survey is voluntary, does not replace an insurance claim, and does not guarantee disaster assistance.
The governor’s office did not announce a deadline for submitting reports or a date when the preliminary assessments would be completed.
North Texas Floods Offer Earlier Example
The same reporting process was used after major flooding struck North Texas in August 2022. More than 1,200 residents submitted information through iSTAT, and a subsequent joint assessment found that at least 47 Dallas County homes and businesses sustained major damage, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Those findings supported Texas’ request for an SBA disaster declaration for Dallas County. The request also identified Collin, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Rockwall, and Tarrant counties as neighboring jurisdictions that could become eligible for certain assistance.
Provided by Dallas Express
