U.S. President Joe Biden has expanded a disaster declaration to include additional counties in Texas that have been ravaged by severe storms over the past month. This move, announced on Thursday, extends federal assistance to Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker counties, providing these areas with crucial aid for recovery efforts.
The state of Texas has experienced a series of extreme weather events since late April, including powerful thunderstorms that have led to flooding and tornadoes. Last week's storms, featuring winds up to 110 miles per hour, caused significant damage in the Houston area, resulting in at least four fatalities.
The https://t.co/YxtQAImEWH surface maps shows a storm in the Plains that will produce more severe storms from the Great Lakes to Texas today. A more significant outbreak of severe weather including tornadoes is expected from the Plains into the Ohi Valley this weekend. pic.twitter.com/fS53wpAqDS — Weather Madness (@HenryMargusity) May 24, 2024
Governor Greg Abbott initially requested a major disaster declaration for the hardest-hit counties on May 17, which was partially approved by Biden. The recent extension, approved on May 23, further expands the assistance available under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) public assistance program. Abbott expressed his gratitude in a post on X, stating, "Today, the Presidential Disaster Declaration was amended to include additional disaster assistance for impacted Texas counties. Working together, we will ensure Texans have all the resources they need to recover and rebuild from severe storms." In a press release, Abbott emphasized the importance of the federal aid, saying, "Today's partial approval for FEMA assistance will help provide critical aid to communities across our state who have been impacted by recent severe storms. I thank our federal partners for continuing to work with us to ensure Texans have the resources needed to recover and rebuild." The updated disaster declaration authorizes all categories of work under FEMA's Public Assistance program for the seven designated counties, enabling them to use grant funding for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged public infrastructure. Abbott's request for FEMA's assistance to be extended to an additional 21 counties is currently under review.
Some daylight views from Temple, TX. @weatherchannel pic.twitter.com/xX8ujOp1pj — Bob Pack (@BobPackWX) May 23, 2024
Meanwhile, severe weather continues to batter Texas. On Thursday, thousands of residents were left without power as new thunderstorms swept through the state. According to PowerOutage.us, approximately 46,000 people in Bell County and nearly 2,000 in Coryell County were without electricity just before noon.
The extreme weather is not expected to subside soon. Forecasts indicate that severe thunderstorms, capable of producing large hail, damaging winds, and possible tornadoes, will continue into the Memorial Day weekend. The National Weather Service has warned that areas including the Hill Country, Central Texas, North Texas, Texoma, Northeast Texas, and the Ark-La-Tex could be particularly affected. Flooding remains a significant risk under the heaviest storms.
Meteorologists are closely monitoring the dryline and outflow boundaries for thunderstorm initiation, which is expected after 3 PM. Strong daytime heating could lead to earlier development of storms, which are likely to intensify quickly in the unstable environment. These storms could impact evening rush hour in areas such as the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and Central Texas.
As the evening progresses, some storms may evolve into clusters, potentially moving southeast into East Texas and the northern Brazos Valley. Although thunderstorm activity is expected to decrease late in the evening, some storms may persist past midnight, bringing strong winds and hail.
The outlook for Saturday shows a decreased risk of severe weather due to a stronger capping inversion. However, isolated intense thunderstorms remain possible in parts of Northwest Texas, Texoma, and North Texas late in the day.
In addition to the threat of severe weather, Texas is also facing a high to extreme risk of wildfires across its western third through the Memorial Day weekend. This risk is expected to decrease next week as the dryline shifts and thunderstorm chances increase.
Sunday is anticipated to be less active weather-wise, but temperatures are expected to soar under the heat dome, reaching into the 90s, 100s, and even 110s across the state. This intense heat will continue into Memorial Day, although a cool front moving southward may bring slightly cooler temperatures to northern Texas.
Looking ahead to next week, there is potential for increased thunderstorm activity beginning Monday, particularly in the southeastern half of Texas, with more widespread chances by Tuesday and Wednesday. While the severe thunderstorm potential remains uncertain, increased rain chances could lead to cooler temperatures statewide.
