Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that state and local officials are concerned about the possibility of dams being breached as a result of catastrophic flooding.
“We are deeply concerned about those dams. They’ve been constantly monitored and we’re continuing to work with them. Releasing water so we can make sure the dams are not breached, but this is going to be a minute by minute process,” Abbott said on “Fox and Friends.”
“The conditions on the ground in Houston are horrifically challenging,” he added. “Our top goal remains one thing, and that is making sure we do everything we can to rescue and save every life.”
Abbott was also optimistic that the federal government’s presence would help assuage the issue of housing displacement, as the Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) begins taking on a central role in the recovery.
“Through the FEMA process … they have special programs. Part of it is this FEMA reimbursement, but there’s so many other federal programs that can be tapped to help our citizens. Bottom line, we will be working with out cities to make sure we are able to rebuild and get them in a new home or new living quarters. But that’s the next step of the process,” the governor said.
Abbott also said that cooperation and assistance between officials at every level of government has allowed them to respond in the best way possible.
“This is a quintessential example of collaboration from the local, state and federal level,” Abbott said. “And that’s one reason why we’ve been able to handle this, maybe an all time catastrophic disaster so well.”
When asked if he believed Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner should have called for an evacuation, Abbott said it was impossible to know for sure.
“There is no way that can be second guessed, because you don’t know what would happen had an evacuation occurred. All we do know is that we need all hands on deck helping to respond to save lives in Houston, Texas right now,” he concluded.
You can Follow Nick on Twitter and Facebook
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.