Uvalde County delays debris removal plan while awaiting key flood recovery approvals
By Kory Cook
July 27, 2026 at 5:52 PM CDT
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Uvalde County commissioners are continuing to document damage from this month’s flooding while delaying a countywide debris removal plan until state and federal requirements are in place to protect the county’s eligibility for disaster reimbursement.
During Monday’s meeting, commissioners unanimously tabled a proposed debris removal plan because the county has not yet secured state approval for a designated disaster debris disposal site at the City of Uvalde landfill. The county is also awaiting additional guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
County officials said FEMA requires detailed documentation before debris removal can begin. The county must have an approved disposal site, separate contractors to haul debris and independently monitor every load, and county oversight to verify GPS records, photographs and load tickets. Without those safeguards, FEMA could deny reimbursement, leaving local taxpayers responsible for the cost.
Commissioners directed County Judge Bill Mitchell to obtain a definitive answer from the City of Uvalde about the landfill approval and call a special meeting once the remaining requirements are in place.
Residents urged the county to act more quickly.
Laurie McDonald, who has lived in the Deer Valley subdivision for 36 years, told commissioners that neighbors were forced to restore access on their own after floodwaters damaged roads.
“Do you know that we were in there for over a week and not one person came to help fix the road?” McDonald said. “You know who did? The Deer Valley residents came together with their tractors, their skid steers, and we fixed the roads to get in and out.”
Another resident, Angela Turner, described the devastation her family experienced during the flooding.
“We lost all of our vehicles because we couldn’t drive our vehicles out, and we were the very first family that was rescued in Uvalde,” Turner said. “Thank God, or we would have not been able to get out. Water went through my house four times, not just once. Four times. That’s how bad it is, and we have asked for help from the county. If nothing else, something to put debris in.”
While delaying the broader removal plan, commissioners approved the creation of a temporary full-time flood assessment coordinator position to support the county’s disaster recovery effort. The position will be funded through the county’s flood and FEMA reimbursement fund with a salary of $77,500 plus benefits.
The coordinator will work from the county’s Emergency Operations Center and report to the county judge while coordinating with commissioners and the county’s grant manager. The employee will document damage to roads and low-water crossings, track labor, equipment and material costs, and assemble the records needed to recover eligible disaster expenses from FEMA.
Some commissioners and members of the public questioned how the position would be filled after commissioners discussed potentially hiring a former Texas Department of Transportation employee. They raised concerns about transparency and whether the hiring process would be open and competitive.
Commissioners also chose not to immediately rehire the consulting firm that managed flood recovery after the county’s 2018 and 2025 floods. Instead, they voted to issue a request for proposals for grant administration services related to the July 2026 disaster.
Carl Esser, whose firm handled the previous flood recovery efforts, told commissioners that the administrative burden ahead will be significant.
“My house didn’t get damaged, but I’m overwhelmed just by the bureaucracy and the paperwork that comes with this event,” Esser said. “It is going to be a dump truck load of paperwork.”
County officials said documenting every eligible expense will be essential to maximizing FEMA reimbursement as recovery continues.
The meeting came as authorities continued to warn residents about dangerous conditions in area waterways. A body was recovered Saturday from the Nueces River near FM 481 after a person went underwater and did not resurface, according to the Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department. The Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
The Texas Department of Public Safety also warned that flood threats continued across South Texas, including along the Nueces and Frio rivers. The agency urged residents to monitor local conditions and never drive around barricades.
Officials have repeatedly warned that rivers can remain dangerous because of swift currents, unstable banks and debris hidden beneath the water even after flood levels recede. Three deaths had previously been attributed to the region’s July flooding.
The flooding has damaged roads, bridges and low-water crossings across Uvalde County, including the FM 481 bridge over the Nueces River. Recovery efforts are expected to continue for months as local officials work with FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management to assess damage and recover eligible disaster costs.
Uvalde County commissioners are continuing to document damage from this month’s flooding while delaying a countywide debris removal plan until state and federal requirements are in place to protect the county’s eligibility for disaster reimbursement.
During Monday’s meeting, commissioners unanimously tabled a proposed debris removal plan because the county has not yet secured state approval for a designated disaster debris disposal site at the City of Uvalde landfill. The county is also awaiting additional guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
County officials said FEMA requires detailed documentation before debris removal can begin. The county must have an approved disposal site, separate contractors to haul debris and independently monitor every load, and county oversight to verify GPS records, photographs and load tickets. Without those safeguards, FEMA could deny reimbursement, leaving local taxpayers responsible for the cost.
Commissioners directed County Judge Bill Mitchell to obtain a definitive answer from the City of Uvalde about the landfill approval and call a special meeting once the remaining requirements are in place.
Residents urged the county to act more quickly.
Laurie McDonald, who has lived in the Deer Valley subdivision for 36 years, told commissioners that neighbors were forced to restore access on their own after floodwaters damaged roads.
“Do you know that we were in there for over a week and not one person came to help fix the road?” McDonald said. “You know who did? The Deer Valley residents came together with their tractors, their skid steers, and we fixed the roads to get in and out.”
Another resident, Angela Turner, described the devastation her family experienced during the flooding.
“We lost all of our vehicles because we couldn’t drive our vehicles out, and we were the very first family that was rescued in Uvalde,” Turner said. “Thank God, or we would have not been able to get out. Water went through my house four times, not just once. Four times. That’s how bad it is, and we have asked for help from the county. If nothing else, something to put debris in.”
While delaying the broader removal plan, commissioners approved the creation of a temporary full-time flood assessment coordinator position to support the county’s disaster recovery effort. The position will be funded through the county’s flood and FEMA reimbursement fund with a salary of $77,500 plus benefits.
The coordinator will work from the county’s Emergency Operations Center and report to the county judge while coordinating with commissioners and the county’s grant manager. The employee will document damage to roads and low-water crossings, track labor, equipment and material costs, and assemble the records needed to recover eligible disaster expenses from FEMA.
Some commissioners and members of the public questioned how the position would be filled after commissioners discussed potentially hiring a former Texas Department of Transportation employee. They raised concerns about transparency and whether the hiring process would be open and competitive.
Commissioners also chose not to immediately rehire the consulting firm that managed flood recovery after the county’s 2018 and 2025 floods. Instead, they voted to issue a request for proposals for grant administration services related to the July 2026 disaster.
Carl Esser, whose firm handled the previous flood recovery efforts, told commissioners that the administrative burden ahead will be significant.
“My house didn’t get damaged, but I’m overwhelmed just by the bureaucracy and the paperwork that comes with this event,” Esser said. “It is going to be a dump truck load of paperwork.”
County officials said documenting every eligible expense will be essential to maximizing FEMA reimbursement as recovery continues.
The meeting came as authorities continued to warn residents about dangerous conditions in area waterways. A body was recovered Saturday from the Nueces River near FM 481 after a person went underwater and did not resurface, according to the Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department. The Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
The Texas Department of Public Safety also warned that flood threats continued across South Texas, including along the Nueces and Frio rivers. The agency urged residents to monitor local conditions and never drive around barricades.
Officials have repeatedly warned that rivers can remain dangerous because of swift currents, unstable banks and debris hidden beneath the water even after flood levels recede. Three deaths had previously been attributed to the region’s July flooding.
The flooding has damaged roads, bridges and low-water crossings across Uvalde County, including the FM 481 bridge over the Nueces River. Recovery efforts are expected to continue for months as local officials work with FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management to assess damage and recover eligible disaster costs.