AUSTIN, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — Officials with the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that Abbott has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy various emergency resources because of ongoing flooding and severe weather across northwest Texas and the Texas Panhandle.

According to previous reports by MyHighPlains.com, ongoing rain and flooding have caused Potter and Randall counties, as well as the city of Canyon, to implement disaster declarations. The flooding has also caused the closure of numerous roads throughout the Amarillo area and Texas Panhandle region, with officials from the Amarillo Police Department stating that there is “lots of standing water.”

Officials with the office said in a news release that the TDEM activated the following state resources to help “support flood response operations:”

• Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1): 2 Swiftwater Boat Squads
• Texas A&M Forest Service: 2 Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System Strike Teams comprised of High Profile Vehicles, and 2 Boat Teams
• Texas Department of Transportation: Personnel to assist with traffic control and road closures
• Texas Parks and Wildlife: Game Wardens and Boat Squads
• Texas Department of Public Safety: Helicopters with hoist capability
• Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Public Works Response Team): Personnel to support flood pump operations
• Texas National Guard: 2 Ground Transportation Platoons with High Profile Vehicles
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
• Texas Animal Health Commission: Personnel to provide livestock support

According to the release, the TDEM is also contracting additional water pumps to assist local entities impacted by flooding. They also said that the TDEM placed the following resources on standby to help support operations as warranted:

• Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas Task Force 2): Urban Search and Rescue personnel
• Texas Department of State Health Services (Emergency Medical Task Force): Severe Weather Packages

“With Northwest Texas experiencing significant flooding, the State of Texas is swiftly deploying flood response resources to help local emergency officials keep Texans safe,” Abbott said in the release. “Texans are urged to regularly monitor weather and driving conditions and to forgo travel in impacted areas over the next several days as flash flood threats continue. Please continue to heed the guidance of local and emergency officials to protect yourselves and your loved ones. Turn around, don’t drown. I thank all of our emergency personnel who continue to protect our communities during these storms.”

Officials said in the release that shelters are being opened in impacted regions. Residents are encouraged to contact their local emergency management office for local shelter information. Officials with the city of Amarillo told MyHighPlains.com that there are no plans at this point to establish shelters in the Amarillo area for impacted residents.

Officials with Abbott’s office also stressed that roadway travel “is discouraged” in impacted areas.