What Counties in Texas Are Declared Disaster Areas in 2026?

Texas has been battered by an extraordinary sequence of storms, floods, and severe weather events in 2026 — and the list of declared disaster counties has grown dramatically throughout the year. Here is a complete breakdown of what has been declared and what it means for insurance claims.

The Scale of 2026 Texas Disaster Declarations Is Unprecedented

The volume of disaster declarations in 2026 is staggering. On June 15, Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 101 Texas counties as severe storms continued to threaten the state — covering Harris, Fort Bend, Galveston, Montgomery, and dozens of other counties across Central, South, and Southeast Texas. By July 14, Abbott had declared a disaster for 59 counties following catastrophic flooding that began July 13, when a stalled weather pattern parked itself over Texas and began dumping rain — with rivers including the Guadalupe, Frio, and Nueces jumping to record heights overnight, leaving residents with minutes to escape.

North Texas and Hill Country Declarations

The disasters haven't been confined to the coast. In April 2026, Abbott issued a disaster declaration for three North Texas counties — Lamar, Parker, and Wise — impacted by severe storms affecting homes and businesses. Following catastrophic flooding in Kerr County and surrounding communities, the governor updated his disaster declaration to include Hamilton, Lampasas, Maverick, Sutton, and Uvalde counties — bringing the total to 26 counties at that stage, with federal approval adding additional counties to the presidential major disaster declaration.

Agriculture Counties Added in August 2026

The disaster declarations extend into West Texas agricultural communities. The USDA designated six Texas counties as natural disaster areas as of August 10, 2026, with contiguous counties including Bailey, Childress, Dallam, Donley, Gray, Hale, Hall, Lamb, Moore, Potter, Randall, Sherman, Swisher, and Wheeler also eligible for emergency loan assistance.

What Disaster Declarations Mean for Insurance Claims

For insurance claimants, a state or federal disaster declaration opens up vital resources. A temporary exemption of a portion of the property's appraised value is available to qualified properties in counties included in a declaration that are at least 15% damaged by a disaster; property owners must apply for this exemption no later than 105 days after the governor declares a disaster area. Additionally, a federal major disaster declaration initiates FEMA individual assistance programs that cover personal property damage, basic home repair costs, and temporary housing, but only after insurance claims have been made.

What Affected Texas Homeowners Must Do Now

Residents in any declared disaster county should file insurance claims immediately, document all damage with dated photos and video, and apply for FEMA assistance at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362. Contact the Texas Department of Insurance at 800-252-3439 with any claim disputes — and be aware that the one-year filing deadline for storm damage claims begins on the date of the storm, not the date of the declaration.