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A year after Hurricane Harvey, Abbott extends disaster declaration for storm-ravaged areas

AUSTIN — Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is again renewing a disaster declaration for 60 counties affected by Hurricane Harvey, more than a year after the powerful storm ravaged the Texas coast. Many communities are still recovering and some are already preparing for the next natural disaster.
The proclamation, first issued in August 2017, allows for certain regulations to be suspended that “would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with this disaster.”
The counties include: Angelina, Aransas, Atascosa, Austin, Bastrop, Bee, Bexar, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Caidweil, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Colorado, Comal, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kerr, Kleberg, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Live Oak, Madison, Matagorda, Milam, Montgomery, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Polk, Refugio, Sabine, San Patricio, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Victoria, Walker, Wailer, Washington, Wharton, Willacy, and Wilson.
Allie Morris is a staff writer in Austin. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amorris@express-news.net | Twitter: @MorrisReports