Gov. Abbott speaks in Elgin, urges residents to report damage caused by severe storms and tornadoes

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The governor spoke about the state’s work to help communities recover after a series of tornadoes swept through Texas earlier this week.

ELGIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joined officials in Elgin on Wednesday to share an update on the state’s ongoing response to disastrous severe weather that tore through parts of Central Texas earlier this week.

Abbott was joined by Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape and Eglin Mayor Ron Ramirez, along with Texas Department of Emergency Management, Chief Nim Kidd at the Elgin Fire Department.

All of the leaders stressed the importance of reporting any property damage caused by the severe weather in order to help the state access federal relief funds. Abbott also assured Bastrop County and Elgin that they had the support of the state and that resources would be “pedal to the metal” to help the community’s recovery efforts.

“We’re here to make clear to the leaders of Bastrop County and Elgin that the State of Texas stands shoulder to shoulder with them in their recovery,” Abbott said.

Judge Pape and Mayor Ramirez urged residents to report the damage by calling 512-303-4300 or reporting it to the TDEM online. Kidd said there needs to be $50 million in damage to uninsured public infrastructure and government buildings in order to qualify for federal aid. That’s about 800 homes without insurance that are severely damaged or destroyed, he said.

Mayor Ramirez encouraged Elgin residents to ask for help because there are plenty of resources available.

“All of you in Elgin that were affected by this storm, I want you to reach out and ask for help. The help is out there. The help is out there from Elgin, the help is out there from the county and from the state,” Ramirez said.

Abbott said the state would also be reaching out to work with volunteer organizations to rebuild damaged homes and work on restoration efforts.

“We will be tapping into those volunteer organizations, get them in Elgin, and help rebuild homes here just like they did along the coastline,” he said, referencing the volunteer work done after Hurricane Harvey.

Preliminary data from the National Weather Service indicated that the tornado that ripped through Elgin was an EF-2 with wind of 130 mph and a track length of 14 miles.

The tornado left more than 100 homes in the community were affected by the tornado, with 19 of them destroyed, Abbott said. However, none of the families needed shelter as they were staying with family or friends, with the exception of one family staying in a hotel. Even with the destruction, he highlighted the fact that no lives were lost to the natural disaster.

“The most important thing that came out of the storm that affected the Elgin area is the simple fact that no life was lost,” Abbott said. “Property damage is serious and it can be frustrating and difficult and time-consuming for people to overcome property damage but if you lose your life you can’t overcome anything.”

Property owners in the small town of Elgin shared their stories of survival with KVUE on Tuesday, with an 84-year-old man saying he crawled through a crack between the door and the wall to shelter from the storm. He said 50 years of his work were gone in less than a minute when the tornado hit.

Another resident said he, his wife and his dog hid in a closet as the tornado rumbled past their home. They made it out without any injuries but saw the roof of their home get ripped off.

“To imagine the ferocity of the storms that we saw taking place across I-35 and Highway 45 with traffic going across at the time, seeing people be able to make it through a tornado and hurricane-force winds without losing their lives to an episode like that is nothing short of stunning,” Abbott said.

Watch the full press conference here:

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