Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to request that officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) join local and state partners in conducting joint preliminary damage assessments following a recent apartment complex fire in Houston’s Spring Branch neighborhood. The fire, which occurred last week, is believed to have impacted dozens of units.
“Texas is grateful for the swift action of brave firefighters who battled the Spring Branch neighborhood apartment complex fire,” said Governor Abbott. “Today, I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to request joint preliminary damage assessments with the U.S Small Business Administration. This joint effort will help determine whether Texas is eligible for federal disaster assistance needed for Texans in the Spring Branch neighborhood to recover and rebuild.”
The purpose of these assessments is to evaluate whether Texas meets federal thresholds for various forms of disaster assistance. Residents affected by the fire are encouraged to submit a self-reported damage survey when it is safe to do so using TDEM’s Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT), available at damage.tdem.texas.gov. Information collected through this tool will help officials understand the extent of damages and connect residents with resources.
