Plainview City Council Extends Disaster Declaration

The declaration will allow the city to continue accessing resources to address damage from severe winter storm.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Plainview City Council voted unanimously to extend a disaster declaration enacted in late January to help provide resources as the city faced the aftermath of a severe winter storm that caused significant damage to the city's water infrastructure, including seven busted water mains.

Why it matters

The disaster declaration extension will allow the city of Plainview to continue accessing additional funding and resources to cover costs related to the storm response, such as salt and brine treatments for streets, fuel for snow-clearing vehicles, and other materials needed to address the extensive damage.

The details

During a regular meeting on Tuesday, the Plainview City Council voted to extend the disaster declaration through February 27th. The declaration was initially enacted in late January to help the city respond to the severe winter storm that dropped about 5 inches of snow and caused freezing temperatures, resulting in significant damage to the city's water infrastructure, including seven busted water mains.

  • The disaster declaration was initially enacted in late January.
  • The Plainview City Council voted to extend the declaration through February 27, 2026.

The players

Plainview City Council

The governing body of the city of Plainview, Texas that voted to extend the disaster declaration.

Derrick Watson

The Plainview police chief who said the extension will allow the city to continue drawing resources to address the damages caused by the severe winter storm.

Neil Weems

The director of public works in Plainview who, along with the police chief, informed the council about the seven busted water mains caused by the storm.

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What they’re saying

“It resulted in a lot of significant damage to our water infrastructure here in town.”

— Derrick Watson, Police Chief (myplainview.com)

What’s next

The judge will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the extension of the disaster declaration through the end of February.

The takeaway

This extension of the disaster declaration highlights the ongoing challenges Plainview faces in recovering from the severe winter storm and the importance of accessing additional resources and funding to address the extensive damage to the city's critical infrastructure.