Abbott issues disaster declaration following Texas ice storm

[riversedge]

Source: the hill


by Julia Shapero - 02/04/23 10:53 PM ET


Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a disaster declaration on Saturday for seven counties, including Austin, that were hit particularly hard by last week’s winter storm.

“Through this disaster declaration, we will be able to provide additional assistance to Texans and communities who have experienced property damage and localized power outages from this ice storm,” Abbott said in a statement.

A severe ice storm swept across Texas and several other southern states last week, causing at least 10 deaths in three states and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

..........................

As Texas recovers from its ice storm, the Northeast remains in the thick of a cold blast that has brought wind chills below negative 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Mount Washington in New Hampshire recorded the nation’s lowest ever reported wind chill of negative 109 degrees on Friday night. .....................................................

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3844136-abbott-issues-disaster-declaration-following-texas-ice-storm/

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It is for the folks in Texas who are suffering--and it will be granted, as it should be.

Yet, it galls me that Abbott can beg for tax money when all he does is demean Pres. Biden.

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=UMjUBJRMygfhukifzgPIHw

[cstanleytech]

1. A distater declaration should have been issued for Texas as soon as Abbott took office.

[2naSalit]

10. +1

[DFW]

44. Had a vote been taken in the city of Dallas

That is exactly what would have happened.

[TexasTowelie]

2. The list of counties will certainly grow.

It will probably climb up to about twenty based on what I saw monitoring the radar through the worst day.

[Lonestarblue]

3. I wonder if any of that relief money will trickle down to homeowners.

Many of us have dozens of large broken tree limbs that will cost thousands of dollars to remove and replace some of them. With Abbott, though, you know a significant part of the money will somehow go to his donors who can then get even richer, as his energy cronies did by charging outrageous rates for power during the February 2021 freeze.

[TexasBushwhacker]

21. Don't bet on it

Even though Texas received billions in federal relief funding for Hurricane Harvey, most of the Houston area got stiffed.

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/16/texas-harvey-disaster-aid-land-office/

"After the land office awarded $1 billion of the aid last year, giving the city of Houston nothing, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development accused Bush’s office of discriminating against Black and Latino Texans. The land office had an opportunity to correct these inequities as it developed a new spending plan.

But an analysis by The Texas Tribune found that the land office is on track to follow a similar pattern as it prepares to allocate the next $1.2 billion of the federal aid. The agency’s revised plan will once again send a disproportionately high share of money to inland counties with lower risk of natural disasters."

[nwduke]

4. Ya get what ya voted for

You voted in an idiot,,,,suffer,,,no sympathy!

[ananda]

5. This is Austin. we always vote blue!

..

[truthisfreedom]

7. We love Austin!

Keep Austin Weird!

[bronxiteforever]

13. +100

[nwduke]

15. 👏

👍

[lonely bird]

6. Hey Greg!

Howzabout fixing your grid?

[sybylla]

28. Right? He gets to look like a hero for doing nothing.

And all of us get to pay, not just Texans, who are the only people who benefit/suffer under this electrical grid.

No incentive to fix it if a disaster declaration gives you fed money.

[Igel]

35. Austin did a sucky job of trimming its trees.

For over a decade their code was way below industry minimum standards.

That was recently revised, but you don't fix 15-year's of mistake in 2 1/2 years.

That was the local public media station's morning airing of a report made by the Austin, TX, public media station a couple of days ago.

[Botany]

8. So how many times did Abbbott run his mouth about Biden and his big government socialism?

And now where is all the money he spent shipping human beings to NYC and Washington D.C. for some kind
of political stunt?

I might be wrong but I think both Abbott and DeSantis win their gubernatorial races by fucking with the
vote and voters.

[Augiedog]

9. To late. Texas has been a disaster since it was a twinkle in the Alamo's eye.

[Paladin]

17. It's "TOO late," not "TO late."

Just a little help with your vocabulary---from a Texan.

[The Jungle 1]

19. Please stop.

[2naSalit]

11. Kind of late in the day for that...

Better late than never, I guess.

He's had plenty of time to figure out how to pocket the money for his own purposes of oppression.

[purr-rat beauty]

12. Shouldn't the free market take care of their own mess?

for profit control of a public utility should be their own liability

let the citizens sue them into becoming a public entity....sue their government too

I feel bad for the people but how long can you tolerate this and why should others pay for their malfeasance?

[Traildogbob]

14. Secede already

You cost the rest of us too much. The first budget cut for the congress trumpers, Texas and Florida. We will take Radical Left refugees. After we build the wall, Texas and Florida pay for, there will be and access Point for libs to cross. And keep Prescott, Jerry Jones and his circus. (This from a 50+ year fan, enough of that shit)

[peppertree]

30. And NO use of the U.S. dollar for them

Let'em try to pay for their emergencies supplies (almost all of which would have to be imported), with Texas pesos.

[Traildogbob]

34. They will use quart jars of oil.

[peppertree]

36. And after that, wheelbarrows

The Texas peso would go the way of the Confederate dollar: with their own elites dumping it in favor of gold and hard currency faster than you say Texas Hold'em.

Hyperinflation would follow, and Texas would become just another "south of the border" country asking for a bailout.

[Traildogbob]

37. Hold 'em hostage

Tell them we will raise the bail out ceiling unless they export Abbott, Cruz, Paxton, Cornyn and all other MAGA appointed idiots. Bus them to the footsteps of Hungary’s DICTAKER, Tuckums worships. (What, buses don’t float, oops) otherwise no funding for anything Texas. No more liberal Socialism for Texas. That would be a great first step in Making America Great. Part of the goal we have been trying to achieve for a few hundred years. Only works if it’s great for all of us.

[peppertree]

38. Well said (very witty, too - I might add)

Holding us hostage, after all, is what these Texas (and Southern) Republicans are plotting against us right now - their own fellow Americans!

And where are they, whenever any other state needs federal disaster aid?

In the way - almost every time.

[Traildogbob]

39. 🤜🤛

[DENVERPOPS]

27. The thing no one talks about

Last year's freeze probably cost the Home Owner's Insurance Corporations, Zillions of dollars in claims. Just think about it.......hundreds of thousands, if not millions of homes across Texas and the South had frozen water lines due to no heat........Can you imagine the claims for broken pipes. And worse, the amount of property damage by those broken water pipes????????????????

One would think that the insurance companies would do something to avoid the humongous payments to these homeowners/businesses.

[Woodwizard]

16. We have Central Hudson here in NY Catskills

They do the bare minimum on maintenance amazingly we have power right now it went out for an hour Friday night and 4 hours Saturday. That is pretty good for them usually after high winds tree blow downs can have our power out for a few days.

It goes out on a perfectly nice day for hours, we are on a rural dead end low priority I think they repair the line with old bread twisties.

The wood stove comes in very handy for those times and I have a generator to run our pump to fill the tank. And a solar array that charges batteries for lighting and powering the internet router.

We have grid tie solar but it disconnects from the grid and powers down to not backfeed the power line.

[The Jungle 1]

18. Super storm Sandy

I will say it again texass was one of numerous states that refused to help the east coast after super storm Sandy.
We are America and we will help. However I will not forget.

[LiberalFighter]

20. Can it be a disaster if it is always a disaster?

[bluestarone]

22. If it wern't for the GOOD Democrats in Texas, i'd tell Abbott to STUFF IT!!

But i'm 100% for any relief Joe can give Texas, just because of the Good Dems. we have there. Maybe in 24 we can change things there! Glad to hear Austin in Blue. They really need help!! My hat off to ALL you Democrats in Texas!

[Paladin]

23. Many thanks for your discernment. (nt)

[nature-lover]

25. Thank you. We Texas Democrats appreciate your support.

[bluestarone]

26. Oh, i and many others are with you all

100%! YOU Texas Democrats WILL succeed in the end!

[Fullduplexxx]

24. again? but hey texans shipping those migrants around sure was funny wasnt it ?

maybe instead of political stunts he should have protected his state

[peppertree]

29. How does that "independence" idea sound now, Gov. Abbutt?

You know them Texas pesos wouldn't buy much.

[Hope22]

31. Do we continue to pay for disasters

In state that refuse to upgrade and design for future disasters? I don’t think so!

[Marthe48]

33. takes one to know one

disasters

[ificandream]

40. And I supposed Texas thinks it should get federal aid, Gov. Abbott?

Tell 'em no, Joe.

[sadasfyed]

41. again

lets see where abbott uses texas's infrastructure funds. I guess a stadium, his pockets but not the wall

[Skittles]

43. welcome to DU, sadasfyed

like all repukes, Abbott trashes the feds but has no problem holding his hand out for $$$$$$$$$$

[gopiscrap]

47. welcome to DU

[Rural_Progressive]

42. Bu, bu, bu bu Gov Abbott

wouldn't that be caving to evil socialism? Resist that temptation Gov, you can pull your state up by the bootstraps, you don't need money from the evil Federal Deep State cabal.

Thoughts and prayers Gov, that's all you need.

[William Gustafson]

45. When you vote for a clown.....

Expect a Circus....

[Martin68]

46. Don't you just love the way Texans lobby against funding for disaster relief in blue states, but

ask for federal assistance every time it rains a little or gets a little cold.

[Paladin]

48. A couple of points:

1. Austin is in Travis County.

2. Fuck Greg Abbott, where he breathes.