TYLER COUNTY – Tyler County was placed under a disaster declaration as of Tuesday, June 16, as severe, widespread torrential rainfall hit the county and surrounding region.
Tyler County Judge Milton Powers issued the declaration, which activates the county’s emergency management plan, citing an “imminent threat of the occurrence of widespread and/or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property” resulting from the rainfall, high winds, severe thunderstorms, tornadic activity and flash flooding. The declaration was good for seven days, unless it is continued or renewed by the Commissioners Court. The commissioners will meet in a special-called meeting on Thursday at 10 a.m., however, the declaration is not on the agenda.
Judge Powers signed the declaration after the south end of the county received up to 10 inches of rain in one day (Tuesday), he reported, with more rain falling throughout the rest of last week.
Some of the weather was the county seeing effects from Tropical Storm Arthury, which brought with it some strong wind gusts and an inch of rain.
Arthur, which hit the Gulf Coast on Wednesday, was the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
For the time being, the rainfall seems to have let up for Tyler County, with no precipitation forecasted for this week.
Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster declaration for 101 counties, and two days later, issued another for the Hill Country region, covering 14 counties.
The widespread severe weather across the state prompted Abbott to activate the full range of state resources for support, Abbott said.
Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate additional state emergency response resources and to implement 24-hour operations at the Texas State Emergency Operations Center as the storms and accompanying risks persist.
