Governor Greg Abbott will survey flood damage, serve meals to impacted Texans, and update the public on the state’s ongoing response to flooding in central Texas. Gov. Abbott will be in Cotulla in La Salle County starting around 11:30 a.m. The governor issued a major disaster declaration l ast Friday after days of punishing rains and flooding. Emergency personnel across large parts of south and central Texas, including the Texas Hill Country that experienced catastrophic flooding last July, rescued more than 500 people. Some were stranded drivers; others were trapped in or on top of their homes. At least two people died. One person who died was driving on a flooded road and was swept away near Uvalde, authorities said. Another victim, 65-year-old John Mark Steward of Kerrville, died after his mobile home was swept into Goat Creek on the Guadalupe River, his wife said. The river is the same one that was wrecked by flash floods last year when two dozen children and counselors died at Camp Mystic. Flooding near Camp Mystic reached about 20.5 feet, enough to cause flooding but still far below the record set last year. Some areas saw more than two feet of rain. Rivers swelled and flooded rural communities near the Mexico border. The disaster declaration opens up federal relief to assist in rebuilding the region; 28 counties are included. The governor said more could be added as needed. In addition to Uvalde, the areas under the greatest threat were the counties along the Nueces River, including Zavala, Dimmitt, Real, Sutton and Crockett. Near Ozona, a small town about 200 miles west of San Antonio, floodwaters spilled over Interstate 10. A section of a bridge also collapsed over the Nueces River in Uvalde County, where months’ worth of rain has fallen in a span of days. Residents in hard-hit Uvalde returned to flooded homes. Several highways had to be shut down in Texas last week due to the flooding. Some residents said up to 6 feet of water got inside their homes. Nearly 1 trillion gallons of water fell on the three hardest-hit counties over three days — Uvalde County alone got more rain in that period than California has seen over the last month, according to Ryan Maue, former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Authorities in Crockett County evacuated dozens of people from apartments and an RV park using rescue boats. They were taken to a civic center for shelter. The Hill Country is especially prone to flash floods because the area’s signature limestone is covered by just a thin layer of soil. During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before filling the narrow river basins. The governor said anyone wishing to make a financial contribution to help in the recovery effort can do so at RebuildTx.org, a state-sponsored 501(c)(3) administered by OneStar Foundation. ...read more read less