Washington, D.C. - Today the Federal Emergency Management Agency expanded the Emergency Declaration for the State of Texas to now cover all counties in the 8th Congressional District. An emergency declaration allows for the release of federal funding to aid counties as they prepare for Hurricane Ike and to help with the recovery process.  Congressman Kevin Brady requested this declaration in several letters to the President and in a phone call to Federal Emergency Management Agency Director David Paulison.

This declaration now covers the following counties:

Anderson, Angelina, Aransas, Archer, Austin, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, Cass, Chambers, Cherokee, Collin, Colorado, Comal, Dallas, Denton, DeWitt, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Franklin, Galveston, Goliad, Grayson, Gregg, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hopkins, Hunt, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kaufman, Kenedy, Kleberg, Lamar, Lavaca, Liberty, Lubbock, Matagorda, McLennan, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Panola, Parker, Polk, Potter, Randall, Refugio, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Shelby, Smith, Starr, Tarrant, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Webb, Wharton, Willacy, Williamson, Wise and Wood.