Hurricane Harvey: Texas Will Need Up To $180B In Federal Aid To Rebuild, Governor Says

AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday estimated Texas will require up to $180 billion in federal aid to rebuild communities devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

During television appearances on Fox News and CNN, Abbott noted the scope of destruction by Hurricane Harvey and its subsequent tropical storm iteration is larger than that of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which required federal outlays of some $50 billion and $120 billion, respectively.

Often referred to as a "superstorm," Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season and the second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history. More than 230 people were killed along the path of that storm in eight countries. By comparison, 1,833 people died in Hurricane Katrina—one of the costliest natural disasters and deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history leading to about $108 billion in property damage.

While Hurricane Harvey pales by comparison in terms of death toll—at last check 47 people died along the Texas Gulf Coast as a result—the property damage from the storm is quite substantive. In his Sunday television interviews, Abbott said Harvey far exceeds the aforementioned natural disasters in geographic scope and the numbers of displaced residents.

“I think this will cost well over $120 billion, probably $150 (billion) to $180 billion,” Abbott told FOX. The request for aid made on behalf of Texas by Donald Trump, $7.9 billion, is now being termed as a "down payment" by observers. Abbott explained the presidents's machinations on FOX to explain the requested fraction: “What the president has done is make an additional request before the end of this funding cycle to get things up and running. I think Congress understands this is a down payment on something that will cost far more."

After all, Harvey hit the nation's fourth-largest city, Houston, Abbott reminded interviewers.

>>> Photo: Port Arthur, Texas. Credit: Joe Raedle/ Getty Images News/ Getty Images