President Signs Disaster Declaration for Fayette County

By ANDY BEHLEN President Obama signed a Presidential disaster declaration for Fayette and three other counties in Texas on Monday afternoon. The declaration comes in response to record rainfall that fell across the area last Monday, April 18. Governor Greg Abbott previously signed a state disaster declaration on April 18, which also included Fayette County.

Some weather observers in the area reported rainfall totals of 14 inches following the deluge. The rain fell so hard and fast that it could not drain in some areas, which resulted in many homes suffering water damage even though they were out of the floodplain.

Obama’s declaration provides individual federal assistance to those affected. For a complete list of assistance programs, see Page B3.

A Monday’s Commissioners Court Meeting, County Judge Ed Janecka said this first round of assistance is focused on homeowners and other individuals affected by the flood. Another round of assistance for infrastructure damage is expected in about 30 days, he said. At that time, the county may receive reimbursement for repairs made to roads and other public facilities damaged by the flood.

Janecka also reported on one couple’s flood experience in the Mullins Prairie area. He said some time ago the couple had moved a mobile home onto their property. At the time the county required them to raise the home seven feet off the ground in order to get it out of the floodplain.

“They were pretty upset about it all,” the judge said at the meeting. “But I ran into her three days ago at Walmart and she said, ‘Judge, I want to thank you for making us put our house up that high. When we got up that morning all of our cars were under water but our house was intact.’”

Janecka also publicly thanked the Commissioners for their work during last week’s flooding event. He also thanked the Sheriff’s Department, La Grange Police, Texas Department of Public Safety, TxDOT, Fayette County EMS, La Grange City Manager Shawn Raborn, and county emergency management coordinator Janet Carrigan for all their efforts.