FEMA Denies Individual Aid After July Floods — Texas Reviews an Appeal as Hill Country Families Rebuild Without It

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied a request for federal aid to individuals needing help after the July 2026 floods in Texas, which swamped homes in Uvalde and damaged properties across Kerr County — in some cases for a second time in two years, according to reporting this week on the decision. San Antonio reporting on the denial put the scope at individual assistance across 30 Texas counties, with public assistance also denied for eight counties, including Bexar. Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Division of Emergency Management are reviewing the decision and the process for appealing it, according to a statement from the governor's office, and the City of Kerrville has expressed disappointment and hope that an appeal will persuade FEMA to reconsider.

Disaster recovery experts say FEMA individual assistance is a critical way for residents to cover short-term costs such as making houses livable again, paying for hotels or other temporary housing and replacing lost items. "FEMA individual assistance was the big thing people were counting on and looking towards to be able to help them rebuild in a significant way," said Allison Brim-Estelle, a field director with a national association for disaster survivors called Rebuild, as reported this week.

FEMA said in a statement it was committed to helping the state recover and reviews requests closely, considering factors such as insurance coverage, other recent disasters, the profile of the population impacted, disaster-related unemployment and state fiscal capacity. "FEMA remains focused on empowering states to take the lead on their community response and recovery activities and is dedicated to providing support when federal assistance is warranted," the agency said. The administration has shifted expectations toward states leading disaster recovery, and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd warned legislators last month that the state pays only $37 million of its budgeted $1.9 billion for emergency response for 2027 — about 2 percent — with federal funding covering the difference.

In the gap, philanthropy is carrying part of the Hill Country's recovery. The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country marked three months since the July 16 flood by highlighting approximately $24 million in grants supporting recovery across the Hill Country and South Texas, and it has provided about $1.3 million in emergency financial assistance for 947 households, along with temporary housing help for 58 households. "Families are continuing to recover without FEMA individual assistance, and philanthropy and local nonprofits are helping fill critical gaps," foundation Chief Executive Officer Austin Dickson said. Abbott's spokesperson Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement, "Texas will deliver every necessary resource to communities impacted by the July storms and floods."