Governor Greg Abbott has amended and renewed the disaster proclamation addressing drought conditions in Texas as of December 18, 2025. The original proclamation was issued on July 8, 2022, and has since been updated multiple times due to ongoing exceptional drought in several counties.
According to the proclamation, “the Texas Division of Emergency Management has confirmed that those same drought conditions persist in certain counties in Texas and that the presence of drought conditions in certain counties contributes to increased wildfire danger.”
Governor Abbott declared a disaster for numerous counties across the state. He authorized the use of all available resources from state government and political subdivisions as necessary to manage the situation. The order also allows for suspension of regulatory statutes or rules that could delay response efforts, with written approval from the Office of the Governor.
“However, to the extent that the enforcement of any state statute or administrative rule regarding contracting or procurement would impede any state agency’s emergency response that is necessary to protect life or property threatened by this declared disaster, I hereby authorize the suspension of such statutes and rules for the duration of this declared disaster,” Abbott stated.
The proclamation requires copies to be filed with appropriate authorities. It was signed by Governor Abbott and attested by Secretary of State Jane Nelson.
The Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott operates as part of the executive branch of Texas state government and delivers services statewide. The office is based in Austin at the State Insurance Building (https://gov.texas.gov/). Greg Abbott has led this office since his election in 2014 (https://gov.texas.gov/). The office focuses on areas including job creation, economic opportunity, education enhancement, individual liberties protection, parental empowerment in schooling, and southern border security (https://gov.texas.gov/).
Abbott’s administration also collaborates with organizations such as Southwest Airlines on economic initiatives and supports community programs through Travel Texas (https://gov.texas.gov/). In addition to responding to disasters like droughts, it advances projects like Operation Lone Star for border security and child sex trafficking prevention (https://gov.texas.gov/).
Greg Abbott was named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024 (https://gov.texas.gov/).
