Val Verde County judge urges residents to report storm damage

Val Verde County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. is urging residents to report storm-related damage so the county and state can judge how hard recent weather hit homes, roads, fences, wells, vehicles and businesses. If people do not file those reports, officials can miss damage that never makes it into the county’s total, which can weaken the case for disaster assistance and leave recovery resources short.

The appeal reaches residents inside Del Rio and in the county’s rural areas, where storm damage often cuts across city limits, neighborhoods and ranchland. Heavy rain and flooding can leave obvious problems, such as washed-out roads and flooded homes, but it can also hide structural damage, contaminated water systems and road undermining that may not be clear at first glance. County leaders want those losses counted before decisions are made at the state level.

Val Verde County’s website includes a Health Department / Risk Management page that references a Storm Damage Assessment Notice. Residents looking to document damage should gather details on what was harmed, where it was located and how the storm affected it, then submit that information through the county’s storm-damage reporting process so it can be included in official assessments.

Lewis G. Owens Jr. is County Judge, with the office address at 400 Pecan Street in Del Rio and the email address lowens@valverdecounty.texas.gov. County commissioners court meetings were held at the Old County Court-At-Law Building, 207B E Losoya Street in Del Rio, including a regular term meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sept. 23, 2025, and another set for 9 a.m. on Jan. 28, 2026.

The county website also displayed an emergency alert banner in search results.