Biden Declares Texas Winter Storm a Major Disaster

WASHINGTON—President Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Texas Saturday after a winter storm wreaked havoc on the state, creating a power and utility crisis that made it difficult for residents to access safe drinking water.

The White House said that the federal assistance would cover 77 counties and provide grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other recovery aid to individuals and business owners.

The disaster aid would be initially focused on the counties most affected by the storm, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday.

Many Texans have said they felt abandoned by government officials and confused why relief hadn’t arrived days into the continuing crisis. Some local officials said icy roads had hindered deliveries of supplies and having the entire state in need of aid at the same time slowed and complicated the effort.

Mr. Biden said Friday he was likely to travel to Texas next week to inspect the damage, but wanted to ensure that his presence wasn’t a burden on emergency responders.