Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management on Wednesday to begin discussions with the SBA about possible assistance to small businesses impacted by the flooding in August, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management believes that out of over 1,200 submissions through the State of Texas Individual Assessment Tool, where Texans can self-report damage from weather and natural disasters, at least 75 include adequate damages to qualify Dallas and contiguous counties for federal disaster assistance through the SBA, according to the release.

The assistance could be available for Texans in Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin, Ellis, Kaufman and Rockwall counties, according to the release.

Abbott thanked Texans for utilizing the self-reporting tool.

“This information has helped local and state officials determine eligibility for federal assistance, and we are working swiftly to help Texans and ensure our communities are provided with all resources available at the state and federal level to recover,” Abbott said in the release.

Flooding the week of Aug. 18 in North Texas was one of seven recent weather events where unusual amounts of rainfall hit an area over a short period of time.

Some areas received as much as 16 inches of rain in a matter of days, following a 67-day streak of dry days in North Texas, one of the longest periods without measurable rainfall since record keeping of that sort began.

The flooding claimed at least one life after 60-year-old Jolene Jarrell, an Uber driver, drowned in Mesquite. In Fort Worth, the heavy rain led to flooding of streets, road closures and dozens of calls to 911 for water rescues.

This story was originally published September 7, 2022 5:43 PM.