Walmart, lowes, and soon to be home depot are doing. There is much to do, and those are just the most immediate steps. Importantly, this is a place that texas and fema will be involved in for a long, long time. We will be here until we can restore this region. As back to normal as possible. For as we discussed in our meeting earlier, we need to recognize it will be a new normal. A new and different normal for this entire region. But we will not stop until we get as far as we can. I want to provide some important details, and then passed the mic to senator cornyn and the national fema administrator. I want to explain a couple of details to the citizens that they need to know about. As governor, i have made a state disaster declaration for 54 counties across the state of texas. In order for a disaster declaration to be made a federal disaster declaration, it requires certain financial thresholds to be met. Those financial thresholds have been met in 18 counties. There are 18 counties in the state of texas, that made it a federal declaration that the president has granted. With that president ial grants, it triggers the involvement of fema. Because there are a lot of people in your viewing area who may not know if they are on the federal disaster declaration list, i want to read these counties out for you. Be county, goliad, cleburne, nueces county, referring accounting, aransas aransas county, Brazoria CountyCalhoun County chambers county, Fort Bend CountyHarris County jackson county, liberty county, victoria county, in warren county. Those of the counties that currently qualify for federal disaster declaration. Depending upon what is learned in weeks and days going forward, there may be more counties added to that list. The reason why this is important, is because if a county is on the federal disaster declaration list, there will be an abundance of resources that come from the federal government. To aid people in those counties. I want to provide you an address on the website so hopefully youll hear from everybody else speak about, because this needs to be everybodys go to location on the internet. It is disasterassistance. Org. I am sorry. Disasterassistance. Gov. This is a block long, who is the national fema administrator will be reemphasizing that. I brought it up, because Everybody Needs to know this. There are people out there who are desperately trying to get the funds they need to stay in a hotel, because they have no place to reside. One of the places you can go is to the disasterassistance. Gov. Brock will explain more about how people can access the assistance they need. I want to provide that to you now. I will be happy in a moment to participate in a question and answer, but at this moment, i would like to turn it over to senator john cornyn. , governor, thank you for inviting me to join you here today. I want to join you in the incredible leadership that we have seen here at the local level at the county and city level. The mayors, everybody pulling together in a typicallytexas fashion. Two years ago i was at the disaster in west texas, and i had a county commissioner come up to me and said, texas isnt just a place you are from. It describes who your family is. I remember that regularly on special occasions like this. We are pulling together as one family as texans to try to help those who have lost their lives and their families who lost their property, houses, and those are in a bad way right now. As we go through this hurricane. I have to say, Governor Abbott and his team working out of the emergency manager Operations Center in austin, texas, have done a tremendous job. It would not be possible without the support of not only the leadership of Governor Abbott, but also the folks throughout the state in local government. As you here in a moment from the fema administrator, federal Emergency Management agency, this will be a long haul. We are trying to save peoples lives. We are trying to make sure they have a place to live, safe water to drink, sewage, electricity, and lights. This will be a long challenge. In addition to the website, the governor mentioned. Disasterassistance. Gov, some people may not have access to internet. Because they do not have electricity. If they can make a phone call, they can call 1800621fema. That is the first step they can do if they qualify. Let me just close with this. Thank you, governor, your tremendous leadership, and i know President Trump and his entire cabinet has been very aggressive in their response. The only way we will get through this together as as a texas fay is if we arent latched together at the state, city, and federal level. I can assure you that we are. As i have been saying, Emergency Management is about partnership, in the bottom line is that these guys around me, county judges, mayors, First Responders come at the disaster always begin and end with these guys. When their capacity has been exceeded, the governor steps in with his support and provide tremendous leadership and capacity and my support in the field. The governors needs to make sure that we are here to support you guys, and we will be here for several years helping you guys recover. I have guys on the ground already here in Corpus Christi and around the area. While all eyes are on houston in the report flooding, just north of Corpus Christi, we are very aware that they took the brunt of a category four hurricane when it comes to the winds and the storm surge and the tremendous amount of damage. To this point, we are continuing to support the life safety efforts. We rolled in 8,500 roughly federal Staff Members. People from around the federal government to be in texas and some of those are in louisiana just making sure that we are anticipating any additional issues that may occur there. Of those 8500, 1100 are outperforming search and rescue. My job is to incarnate the resources of the federal government. Using the coast guard choppers. National guard as well, support from the national guard. Customs and Border Patrol in town. We have all kinds of people providing security to all types of things that are going on from the federal government. The other thing youre starting to see is the state of texas. You guys are a very capable state, we all know it, and you guys have tremendous capabilities to provide lifesustaining commodities. We also back feeling that. We brought in already 2 million liters of water. Tens of thousands of tarps to backfill the needs of the citizens. Just north of here in rockport on the trucks are already arriving. We are pushing them out to the point of distributions on behalf of our state and local partners as well. And this is the way it is supposed to work. We are a unified effort. We are a team, and we all depend on each other. When forward. As the governor said, of the 18 counties, is incredibly important, and i want to push this message the first up to do if you reside in one of those 18 counties under the individual disaster declaration, start to register now online first. Disasterassistance. Gov. And as the governor suggested, 1800621fema, and start the process there. I have 1300 Staff Members connected to the National FloodInsurance Program in the state. Obviously, those people are starting to disperse to the state. Would also ask that if you are in f ip holder, contact your Insurance Agent so we can start processing that as well. We are continuing to help with restoration and folks that as a senator suggested, this will be a very long event. You will get frustrated. You will be tired. Your routine will be disrupted for weeks. We are striving for normal here, but fema is with you, and we are here for you to support you, governor. As well as all the local judges and mayors. We are doing our best. Thank you. A few last things and then some questions. One piece of news that is today, they authorized the deployment of all of the Texas National guard. To address the challenges that texans are facing all the way from Corpus Christi to houston, texas. That would include all of the 12,000 available numbers of the Texas National guard. We want to ensure all we can to maintain safety and security of everybody in the entire state of texas. Lastly, one thing that i often say that its our lives are not determined by the ways in which we are challenged, but how we respond to the challenges we face. Every time i see texans challenged, i am always impressed to see the way we respond. To see the way a fellow texan will take out their own boats and go rescue stranded houstonians. There are so many heroes in houston, who literally saved the lives of their fellow texans. The same is true with what happened in this region, where the hurricane first hit texas. Texans helping texans. That is what we do. As a state, and i dont think anybody does it better. I am so proud to be a texan. I am proud to be associated with the men and women, who have helped their friends and neighbors during this catastrophe over this past week. Knowing who we are and what we are, i know that we will get through this Even Stronger than where we were before the storm hit. With that, i would be happy to take some questions. The president of the Houston Firefighters Association told fox news his firefighters are being underutilized the lack of planning from the committee, which is why so many civilians are trying to take part in the rescue. Have you heard that connect do you have any information on that that . I would have to direct you to the city of houston on it. So far, how would you have rated the government response . Speak of the state of texas has been dealing with the federal government for about seven to ten days at least, before the hurricane hit. On a daily basis. Frequently, multiple times throughout the day. I have spoken with the president on multiple occasions. With his cabinet members, ranging from the secretary of health and human services, homeland security, transportation, energy, i am leaving some out. Also the fema administrator. I would have to grade the federal governments response as an a . This is if not the lodges, categorize as one of the largest disasters americas has ever fac face. Out Quick Response from fema is unparalleled. We are grateful for what has happened so far, what we know, we are still early in the process. We need to maintain this. Second component is the way leaders at the local level have responded. These are people, who are living off just a few hours of sleep, and they have one concern. That is for the men and women they represent in their towns and counties, and it is because of their commitment to the people they represent that coupled with the federal governments response we are doing as well as we are. Some of your advisors has contradictory to what the mayor had said. The decisions about the evacuations is something behind us. We are who we are right now. We need to focus on protecting life, first, and doing all we can to rescue those who are in danger, and second to get them to Evacuation Centers and third, help them build a bridge to where the future will be. Some of the Biggest Challenges that youve seen . Speak of the biggest challenge is making sure we get every person to a secure place. Cycle will be rebuilding our communities. That is something you cannot just snap your fingers and make happen. Something that everybody you see appeared together with us, who are all going to be in this together. It will take a long time doing it. We will need the patience and cooperation of everybody in this region as we go through that process to rebuild the community. Have you spoken to mexican officials . Had they offered support . Yes, i have spoken with mexican officials. My staff has also spoken with officials from the government of mexico, and yes, they have offered assistance. In what way . They said and whatever we need. They said whether it is boats, whether could be food. They have been participants in helping with Hurricane Katrina. They are going to give more precise ways and we will be communicating with them about specific needs. One more. Governor about rockport and ranches county, what will be offered to those residents that are still there, that lost their homes, cars, will they be moved somewhere else . I am going to answer part of it and let brock long answer the rest. I should have mentioned this to you. We have come here, you may or may not know, but we will be departing here going folk to rockport. I will get to see firsthand what challenges they are facing. You mentioned buses. We do have buses available, where we are evacuating people, and there are multiple locations. I personally greeted people who got on those buses from Corpus Christi and other areas around here that went to san antonio. There are also buses i go to austin, dallas, other locations. There are multiple Evacuation Centers, people can get on buses and go to a no charge. That is one. Two, for those that are still here, there is a need for food and water as quickly as possibl possible. We will be establishing if it has not already been established points of distribution for water and all the supplies they need. Separate from that, part of your question must be answered by the fema administrator. Let me take a second to explain this goal. One of the largest Recovery Housing missions that that initiation is ever seen. Once you start to wrap up the life Safety Mission and moving citizens who may be trapped or isolated, youre trying to get them to a shelter. Try to minimize the time they spend in a shelter and the governor proactively turned on what is called the shelter initiation program. This allows anyone in a shelter or someone who does not have financial means to be able to receive assistance to hopefully find a hotel or a motel, or to be able to eventually rent. The goal of this is to. If we cannot put you back in your home, because it is destroyed or the floodwaters are there, and they will be there for a while, you will get you out of the longterm sheltering. We want to try and find him. Rent them if you have them. Lets rent out different facilities and build a place people in those type of places. In some places, we have to look at alternative housing solutions. The last resort is to bring in manufactured homes and tractortrailers, which we are utilizing the defense act and had the parties to mass those. That is a long process. We do not start dragging in manufactured homes and travel trailers right off the bat. They will not be on your property and marred by means. This is a process, we have to be into the individual assistance. His try to find you. It is where your job is, and that is what we are working on. It is a long process. Housing is going to be very frustrating in texas. We need to set the expectations. We already have disaster housing on site. We are already working very proactively with the state. I just got off the phone with secretary carson at hud. He wanted to go, Governor Abbott and senator cornyn wrapping up the status of things in the great state of texas. The governor is receiving a phone call from the president with congratulations. Thanking people for all their hard work, especially to everyday texans in louisiana and are on it as well. The cajun navy coming over to help. Hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of folks. The governor i thought pointedly reminded texans during the early goings of the new normal that is to come. They are feeling search and rescue mission. Still trying to save lives, people in texas and all the rest. The governor reminding people that the time will come soon when the full scope of what has happened will be a very heavy burden in weight. Billions and billions and billions of dollars in recovery. Months and years to go and what the governor described as the new new normal over the state of texas one of the worst National Dancers all freeways closed in one way or another around houston, texas. Both airports closed until further notice. Mensa will come to the there is no timetable for reopening either of those major airports. Think of it. They have been closed through the weekend, and they do not know when they will reopen. The National Weather service now predicts 50 inches of rain could pile up in or around houston. Specific areas by the time harvey is done. So far, five people are reported dead, and we are sad to report there is a local report from cbs 11, a family of six is believed to have died in a minivan trying to escape. Associated press minutes ago reported that family of six is feared dead. We are working independently to confirm what happened. The head of fema said 30,000 people will need shelter tonight. Since harvey hit as a category four, we have watched rescue after rescue from flooded neighborhoods. Crews find choppers to get people off of rooftops. Houston pleats say they saved at least 2,000 people already, and that is not to mention not even counting all of those that all the lives to volunteers helping. Neighbors with boats. That cajun navy coming over. The video behind me from a rescue boat and dickinson, texas. East of houston. Streets underwater. Cars completely covered. Neighbors in a boat will be neighbors. Some on the front no doubt wondering what the next few days will bring. We are hearing from people who managed to get out when the water started gushing into their own homes. Around 6 00 a. M. , clock fell off the nightstand and water was coming in fast. Water current was strong. They helped us up to the military trucks that evacuated us over to the library. We are happy to be okay. Three people in my bed in my hospital bed, because i am bedridden. Theres water in all the beds. Every strip of furniture, everything. My friends house is done, and she worked so hard. Things happen there. Memories taken away by something you do not expect. It is all mat