Gov. Greg Abbott has requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Bandera County and 27 other Texas counties following widespread flooding that began July 12, seeking federal assistance to support response and long-term recovery efforts.

Abbott announced the request Friday while visiting flood-ravaged Uvalde County, where he received updates on response operations, surveyed damage and met with state and local officials at the SSGT Willie de Leon Civic Center.

"The Uvalde Community was hit very hard, but its residents are strong and resilient," Abbott said.