Burnet County Flood Victims in Limbo as FEMA Aid Still Pending

Residents of Central Texas affected by the tragic floods on July 4 are still awaiting federal disaster assistance, while recovery efforts intensify in Kerr County, where more than 100 lives were lost and at least 161 individuals are still unaccounted for. 

After floodwaters devastated his trailer home at Cedar Stays RV Park, Kendall Myers, a postman from Marble Falls, finds himself in a precarious situation. Without insurance and with minimal savings, Myers spent Monday in a hotel room, constantly refreshing the FEMA website, anxiously awaiting updates on whether Burnet County would be included in the federal disaster declaration.

“I’m quite frustrated with FEMA's lack of assistance at this moment,” Myers expressed. He found himself in Oklahoma when the flood struck, avoiding peril yet still facing the impact of loss. A powerful current swept away his mobile home, crushing it on top of his motorcycle.

Following a request from Gov. Greg Abbott, President Donald Trump granted federal assistance to Kerr County on Sunday. 

In neighboring counties such as Burnet, Travis, and Williamson, the situation remains dire, with at least 16 fatalities and many more individuals unaccounted for, while assistance from FEMA is still awaited. 

On Thursday, Abbott sought federal disaster declarations for five more counties, including Burnet and Travis, indicating that they had reached the damage thresholds necessary for assistance from FEMA.

To be eligible for individual assistance from FEMA, a county must demonstrate a per capita damage of $4.72, according to officials. Burnet and other counties are in the process of finalizing damage reports to meet the necessary benchmarks. State officials are urging residents to report any flood damage, regardless of insurance coverage, to assist counties in meeting the requirements.

Abbott highlighted that the state will persist in allocating resources, yet for individuals like Myers, the delay for federal aid is becoming as excruciating as the flood itself. "It appears we are on our own until they assess our aid eligibility," he expressed.

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