Governor Abbott Requests SBA Disaster Declaration For Northeast Texas Severe Weather

TEXAS, April 17 - April 17, 2025 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott announced today that he requested a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Northeast Texas communities impacted by severe weather, including tornadoes, earlier this month. If approved, the SBA declaration will make federal assistance available through disaster loans for Morris County and its contiguous counties.

"Today, I requested a disaster declaration for Texans in Morris County and the surrounding area who were impacted by severe weather and tornadoes," said Governor Abbott. "Approval of this declaration will provide access to low-interest loans to help Texans rebuild their homes and businesses and move forward. I thank the Texas Division of Emergency Management for working with local officials to ensure Texans meet the eligibility requirements for financial assistance."  

If the request from the State of Texas is approved, the SBA would provide low-interest loans through disaster programs to qualifying Texans whose homes and businesses sustained damage during the severe weather incident, including but not limited to tornadoes, thunderstorms, and straight-line winds.

Governor Abbott's request follows an analysis of the damage sustained in impacted communities conducted by local, state, and federal officials. The analysis verifies that Morris County meets the federally required thresholds for SBA assistance. Officials also reviewed disaster damage details provided by Texan through the self-reporting Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) surveys.

Governor Abbott continues to take action to provide all available resources to help support local communities impacted by severe weather including:

• Requesting local, state, and federal partners joint preliminary damage assessment of homes and businesses in Northeast Texas communities.
• Activating state emergency response resources ahead of severe weather and flash flood threats.