FEMADR-1257-TXMajor disasterDeclared October 21, 1998
DR-1257-TX: Texas Tx-Flooding 10/18/98
FEMA made a major disaster declaration for Texas (DR-1257-TX) on October 21, 1998 for the incident of October 17, 1998 to November 15, 1998; it covers 43 designated areas. FEMA had approved obligated $33.3 million in Public Assistance (as of May 17, 2026).
The declaration
- Declaration
- DR-1257-TX (also written FEMA-1257-DR)
- Type
- Major disaster declaration
- State
- Texas
- Incident
- Flood: Tx-Flooding 10/18/98
- Incident period
- October 17, 1998 to November 15, 1998
- Declared
- October 21, 1998
- Programs declared
- Individual Assistance (the older program, flagged until 2008), Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation
- FEMA region
- 6
- Place in the year
- the third of 3 major disaster declarations for Texas in 1998
- Status
- closed out on June 19, 2012
- Registration deadline (individual help)
- January 21, 1999
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
Which areas are covered, and for what?
| Designated area | Individuals and Households | Individual Assistance (older program) | Public Assistance | Hazard Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atascosa (County) | — | Yes | — | — |
| Austin (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bastrop (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bexar (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Blanco (County) | — | Yes | — | — |
| Brazoria (County) | — | Yes | — | — |
| Burleson (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Caldwell (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calhoun (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Colorado (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Comal (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DeWitt (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fayette (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fort Bend (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Galveston (County) | — | Yes | — | — |
| Goliad (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gonzales (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Grimes (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Guadalupe (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Harris (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hays (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jackson (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jefferson (County) | — | Yes | — | — |
| Jim Wells (County) | — | Yes | — | Yes |
| Karnes (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kendall (County) | — | Yes | — | Yes |
| Lavaca (County) | — | Yes | — | Yes |
| Liberty (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Matagorda (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Medina (County) | — | Yes | — | — |
| Montgomery (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nueces (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Polk (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Refugio (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| San Jacinto (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| San Patricio (County) | — | Yes | Yes | — |
| Travis (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trinity (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Victoria (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Walker (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waller (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wharton (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wilson (County) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
An area can be added to a declaration after the first day, or have a program added: this table is FEMA's current list.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). Data as of September 29, 2026.
How much has FEMA approved?
$33.3 millionPublic Assistance obligated
$18.9 millionHazard Mitigation Grant Program obligated
Individual assistance figures as of n/a, public assistance as of May 17, 2026. FEMA updates both as applications are decided.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2); FEMA, OpenFEMA FEMA Web Disaster Summaries (v1). Data as of September 29, 2026.
FEMA's page for this declaration
FEMA's own page for this declaration is fema.gov/disaster/1257. AreaZine is not FEMA and cannot answer questions about an application.