Three North Texas counties hit by tornadoes last week won’t get any federal help to clean up and rebuild.
Hood County Commissioner Steve Berry says damage estimates did not meet the $34 million threshold for uninsured, or underinsured losses. He says that’s the way the system works, but it’s disappointing.
“When you look at Johnson, Ellis and Hood, we have some really good people who live here as well and they’re as deserving as anyone," Berry said. "But it seems like this is going to fall back on our shoulders.”
Berry says Hood County will have to dip into reserves to pay for clean-up and help with repair and rebuilding. He says recovery will become more difficult when volunteers and relief agencies eventually leave Hood County.
Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain says his city expects the clean up to cost 100’s of thousands of dollars that will come out of the city’s contingency funds.
There is no pool of state money for disaster recovery. The state manages federal money that comes only after a federal disaster declaration.
The Governor’s office says it will seek a disaster declaration from the Small Business Administration for possible loans to rebuild.
