Federal Emergency Declaration Issued For Texas Amid Severe Cold

AUSTIN, TX — The White House on Sunday issued a Federal Emergency Declaration for Texas in response to the severe winter weather throughout the state, the governor announced Sunday evening.

Gov. Greg Abbott submitted a request for this declaration on Saturday to assist the state in response efforts related to the storm. The declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide emergency protective measures for mass care and sheltering and Direct Federal Assistance for all 254 counties in Texas, the governor explained.

“I thank President Biden for quickly issuing a Federal Emergency Declaration for Texas as we continue to respond to severe winter weather conditions throughout the state,” Abbott said in a prepared statement.

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Abbott explained the value of having secured the White House declaration: “This disaster declaration provides Texas with additional resources and assistance that will help our communities respond to this winter weather."

The National Weather Service on Sunday placed the entire state of Texas under a winter storm warning. The severity of the cold is such an aberration in some parts that they have never received special designations alerting to the wintry conditions — including Southeast Texas placed under a "wind chill warning" for the first time in the region's history. Known for its humid, subtropical climate, Houston is now under the same wind chill alert for the first time in the city's history.

According to the National Weather Service, an "Arctic outbreak" originating just above the U.S.-Canada border is to blame for the big freeze across Texas. Such cold air outbreaks typically are contained in the Arctic via a system of low-pressure systems, but this one blew past Canada to descend on the U.S. in earnest last week.