After Humberto, Three Texas Counties Declared Disaster Areas

Texas Gov. Rick Perry declared three southeast Texas counties disaster areas as a result of Hurricane Humberto, which made landfall in Southeast Texas in the early hours of Sept. 13. The storm moved ashore near the town High Island and drenched nearby Beaumont with 6.5 inches of rain, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Humberto, the first hurricane to hit the U.S. coast since 2005, developed from a tropical depression into a Category 1 hurricane in just over 12 hours and brought heavy rains and high winds to Jefferson, Orange and Galveston Counties.

“Texans in Jefferson, Orange and Galveston Counties can rest assured that we have deployed the necessary resources to help them recover from the devastation resulting from this storm,” Perry said. “We are working closely with local officials to restore power to the region and to ensure everyone’s safety. I urge all Texans to heed the warnings of their local leaders and take all possible precautions to stay out of dangerous situations.”

Numerous areas in these counties still were without power Friday morning, the governor’s office said.

The remains of Humberto are moving towards the Northeast according to the National Hurricane Center. As of 4:00 a.m. Friday, flood watches were in effect for portions of the Vermillion River in Louisiana, as well as parts of Central and Northern Mississippi.

Tropical Storm Ingrid on Thursday became the ninth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, according to the hurricane center.