Governor Greg Abbott on May 6th, held a briefing with state and local officials and provided an update on the state’s ongoing response to severe weather and flooding conditions impacting East Texas communities during a press conference in Conroe.

"Even in a heart-wrenching event like the catastrophic storms and floods we have witnessed in East Texas, we have also seen the resiliency of Texans who are willing to lend a helping hand to protect their fellow Texans," said Governor Abbott. "The No. 1 thing we want to do in severe weather events is to protect lives. There are 232 agencies, including state, local, and federal agencies, that are responding to these storms. At the state level, we have evacuated 124 people and rescued 58, including 99 pets. There are well over 500 people who have been rescued at operations at local levels, and we cannot thank local emergency response officials enough for all they have done. As rivers continue to rise for days, we urge Texans around those regions to listen to local officials and take the precautions needed to protect themselves and their properties. I also want to point out, it is not worth it to risk your life to drive through high waters. Remember: Turn Around, Don't Drown."

Governor Abbott was joined at the briefing and press conference by Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) Chief Nim Kidd, Congressman Morgan Luttrell, Senator Brandon Creighton, Representative Trent Ashby, Representative Charles Cunningham, Representative Stan Kitzman, Representative Will Metcalf, Representative Steve Toth, Montgomery County Judge Mark J. Keough, Liberty County Judge Jay Knight, Montgomery County Sheriff Rand Henderson, Walker County Judge Colt Christian, Huntsville Mayor Russell Humphrey, Conroe Mayor Pro Tem Curt Maddux, The Woodlands Township Chairman Dr. Ann Snyder, and other state and local officials.

At the press conference, the Governor pledged Texas' continued support to communities that need assistance recovering from these storms and urged impacted Texans to report their damage using the TDEM Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) tool. Additionally, the Governor thanked the brave first responders and emergency management personnel who are working around-the-clock to protect their fellow Texans.

East Texas communities impacted by severe weather and flooding conditions are encouraged to complete TDEM’s iSTAT self-reporting damage survey to help state and local officials identify damages and determine the state’s eligibility for federal and disaster assistance. The survey is available is both English and Spanish and can be accessed by visiting damage.tdem.texas.gov.

Texans are urged to monitor local forecasts, make an emergency plan, and follow instructions of emergency response officials. Never drive or walk through flooded roads, and do not drive around barricaded roadways. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

Texans can access flood information at TexasFlood.org, find flood preparedness tips at TexasReady.gov, check road conditions at DriveTexas.org, and locate severe weather resources at tdem.texas.gov.

Governor Abbott continues to take action to provide all available resources to help support local communities from the impacts of severe weather, including:

• Readying state emergency response resources ahead of wildfire and severe weather threats last week
• Issuing a disaster declaration for counties affected by recent storms and deploying additional state emergency response resources in anticipation of severe weather and flooding last week
• Increasing the readiness level of the State Emergency Operations Center to help support requests for state assistance from local officials.