Governor Greg Abbott issued and renewed several disaster proclamations on July 8 certifying that exceptional drought conditions are persisting in a number of Texas counties that may contribute to increase wildfire danger.
Hockley and Cochran counties were among those listed as well as the neighboring counties of Lamb and Lubbock.
The disaster proclamation authorizes the use of all available resources of state government and political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with the disaster.
A drought disaster proclamation in Texas authorizes the governor to mobilize all necessary state government resources to mitigate severe dry conditions and associated wildfire risks. Key state and emergency management agencies are activated to address drinking water shortages, agricultural impacts, and wildfire hazards.
Agencies that can be activated include: -Texas Division of Emergency Management: Activates the State Operations Center to coordinate statewide multiagency responses and monitor disaster declarations; -Emergency Drinking Water Task Force: A specialized collaborative task force activated to supply emergency drinking water when communities face shortages. It primarily consists of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which assists the Public Water Systems (PWS), monitors water/air quality and facilitates alternative water source routing; and the Texas Water Development Board, which provides water infrastructure technical assistance and helps identify funding for emergency water supplies.
-Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Deploys County Extension Agents and Disaster Assessment/ Recovery Agents to support livestock and evaluate agricultural losses.
-Texas A&M Forest Service: Mitigates and suppresses the increased wildfire danger that frequently accompanies persistent drought.
-Public Utility Commission of Texas: Tracks grid impacts, power usage, and coordinates closely with utility providers. Abbott also amended and renewed proclamations for border security and flooding.