Tornado in Texas: What is a disaster declaration and what it means for residents

Bad weather continues to wreak havoc in the United States. Various communities across Texas saw high winds and hail on Wednesday afternoon, with Residents of Tempe, a city located 60 miles north of Austin, witnessing a tornado touch down. Officials are warning residents that the threats are not over.

As for yesterday’s tornado, a classification of the severity has yet to be determined. However, residents are reporting severe damage in the area as the destruction continues to be evaluated. Meanwhile, the city of Temple has issued a Disaster Declaration.

The press release announcing that the disaster declaration had been imposed encouraged residents to “stay home” if they could and be aware that many in and around the city “are dangerous, closed, or impossible.”

Thankfully, the city reported no fatalities from the tornado and the subsequent storms.

What is a Disaster Declaration?

The Montogomery Country, Texas website explains that a Disaster Declaration “is a formal statement by a jurisdiction that a disaster or emergency exceeds the response and/or recovery capabilities.” Three more countries, Calhoun, Delta, Jones, and Lamar, were added to the list of counties covered by a disaster declaration on Wednesday. Since 26 April, Eastland, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Walker, and Waller counties had been listed due to “severe storms and flooding.”

What does the Disaster Declaration mean for Temple residents?

When a Disaster Declaration is in effect, authorities can order evacuations, control access to certain areas, suspend some regulations or deadlines, and request financial assistance at the federal level.

In the case of Temple, the authorities are instructed to stay at home and avoid disaster areas. This is intended to safeguard the residents while the authorities do the cleaning and damage analysis.