Trump approves additional Texas counties as disaster areas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Sunday that President Trump has approved the addition of 12 counties to the Presidential Disaster Declaration for Tropical Storm Harvey, The Associated Press reported.

Abbott in a press release Sunday said he made the request after six counties had already been included in the declaration.

{mosads}”Our partners at the federal level have stood ready to answer the call for help from Texas, and I am thankful for their assistance as we continue to assess the situation in expanded areas across our state,” Abbott said in a press release.

“Many parts of Eastern Texas, especially in and around Houston, are experiencing historic flooding causing the need to grow for additional resources that will allow us to answer the call for help from our fellow Texans,” he said. “I thank those at FEMA for their attention to the severity of the situation in Texas and the people of this great state for coming together in this time of need.”

The governor during a Sunday morning interview praised the Trump administration for its response to the storm, which first made landfall Friday as a Category 4 hurricane.

“[The] White House is being very responsive, very concerned about the people of Texas, and a tremendous help to us,” he said.

Abbott has issued a state disaster declaration for 50 counties in the state.