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President Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for Texas as the state struggles to recover from deadly winter storms, the White House announced in a Saturday statement. That paves the way for federal assistance "to supplement state and local recovery efforts" in affected areas.

All 254 counties in the Lone Star State are eligible to receive public assistance, while people living in 77 counties are eligible to receive individual assistance, which "can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster."

In his own statement, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) thanked Biden, who has said he intends to travel to Texas whenever his visit is no longer seen as a hindrance to recovery efforts.