Governor issues state of disaster due to flooding with more rain in the forecast

Governor Greg Abbott announced a state of disaster for Tarrant County on Friday due to the flooding that began Sept. 21.

Abbott said the flooding and severe weather caused “widespread and severe property damage in Ellis, Sutton, and Tarrant counties.”

The declaration of disaster was also issued for Sutton and Ellis counties.

More rain was in the forecast as of Friday night.

Light rain was predicted on Saturday during scattered thunderstorms, but only about a quarter of an inch was expected. From Oct. 5-7, however, a cold front could bring substantial rainfall to the area, Lee Carlaw with the National Weather Service said.

“That’s getting a little beyond our prediction, but there is a definitely a threat for heavier rainfall getting into next weekend,” Carlaw said.

During a disaster declaration, the governor authorizes the use of all available resources of state government “that are reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster.”

The declaration also suspends any regulation that would hinder action in coping with the disaster. If the enforcement of any rules would impede the state’s emergency response ability, those statutes are suspended as well.

Record-breaking rain on Sept. 21 caused widespread damage and at least two deaths in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

In Everman, up to 64 houses were substantially damaged.

A 23-year-old student at the University of Texas at Arlington, Alan Amaya of El Paso, drowned after being swept off a bridge by floodwaters near the campus.

A second drowning victim, Hamadi Hassan, was discovered Sept. 23 underneath a bridge near U.S. 287.

On Wednesday, a flood advisory was in effect until 9:45 a.m. for parts of Tarrant County where up to 2 inches of rain had fallen.