President Donald Trump pledged to provide more federal aid to Texas flood victims after the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied the state’s initial request to help individuals recovering from widespread floods in July.
The flooding swept through portions of southwest Texas and the Hill Country, which was still building back from another deadly flash flood a year earlier. While FEMA had approved assistance for some counties to cover infrastructure repair costs, individuals were left to rely on limited nonprofit funds and their own money to recover.
Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, formally appealed FEMA’s denial of individual assistance Tuesday, the same day Trump promised to open up more recovery funds at a Republican campaign rally in Corpus Christi.
“We’ll work that out on Monday,” Trump said in his remarks. The president said he made the decision at the request of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for the other U.S. Senate seat in Texas and appeared on stage with Trump.
Kidd asked FEMA to reconsider its denial for 20 of 30 counties where individuals needed aid, including Kerr and Uvalde. Kidd also appealed the agency’s denial of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds, which help communities prepare for the next disaster with “work that saves future costs and saves lives.”
By the state’s count so far, this year’s floods damaged 2,944 residences and small businesses — including 132 that were destroyed and 618 that suffered major damage, according to Kidd’s appeal. At least three people were confirmed dead from the flooding.
“These losses occurred amid widespread rescue and evacuation operations and underscore the significant human impact experienced across the affected communities,” Kidd wrote.
People lost personal property and faced significant costs to repair or replace homes and pay for temporary housing, while also juggling everyday costs of living, Kidd wrote. Covering those costs can cause significant delay for residents with limited insurance coverage and financial means, he wrote.
Hundreds of people asked the American Red Cross for financial assistance, according to Kidd. Communities already struggling with poverty and other hardships suffered much of the damage.
“Families are still trying to put their lives back together, and denying them federal disaster assistance only adds to their suffering,” said Dondi Voigt Persyn, whose organization helped people find lost items in the Hill Country after the 2025 flood, in a written statement sent by the advocacy group Extreme Weather Survivors. “We cannot keep asking survivors to carry this burden alone.”
FEMA approved assistance to some local governments more than six weeks after the floods. The agency later denied the individual assistance, which can help cover costs of temporary hotel stays, emergency repairs to homes or replacement of lost items. Under Trump, FEMA has been trying to shift the primary responsibility for emergency response to states rather than the federal government.
FEMA’s decision drew political pushback from both sides of the aisle.
“The denial of aid is unacceptable, and Texas should not accept it without a fight,” state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, wrote to Abbott on Monday, adding, “These Texans have already suffered more than anyone should have to endure.”
“FEMA’s assessment does not accurately reflect the critical resources needed to help communities across our state recover,” Cruz and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, wrote to Trump on Tuesday, urging him to approve the appeal.
Cruz said in a statement he later spoke with Trump while on Air Force One.
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This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.