Governor issues disaster declaration for 7 East Texas counties

EAST TEXAS (KLTV/KTRE) - Sixteen counties that were struck by Monday night’s severe weather are now included in a disaster declaration issued by Governor Greg Abbott.

There were numerous instances of damage in East Texas, including in Cass, Houston, Marion, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk and Upshur counties on Monday night.

The severe weather produced heavy rain, large hail, damaging winds, and multiple tornadoes, and poses an imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property in Bastrop, Cass, Cooke, Grayson, Guadalupe, Houston, Jack, Madison, Marion, Montague, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Upshur, Williamson, and Wise counties, the declaration said.

The declaration authorizes the use of all available resources of state government and of political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with the disaster, Abbott said.