Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
Harlingen, Texas – In an honest and urgent request to the nation’s highest office, Mayor Norma Sepulveda of Harlingen has called on President Donald J. Trump to issue a Presidential Disaster Declaration, following one of the most catastrophic storms in the city’s history. The appeal comes after an unprecedented deluge on March 26, 2025, that dropped nearly 22 inches of rain in a matter of hours, leaving vast portions of the city underwater and thousands of families devastated.
In a formal letter sent to the White House on April 24, Mayor Sepulveda painted a traumatic picture of the destruction left behind.
“Streets became rivers. Families were forced to flee in the middle of the night,” she wrote. “Harlingen is resilient, but we are hurting. Please do not let another day go by without action.”
Entire neighborhoods, public buildings, schools, and businesses have been damaged or destroyed. Harlingen’s flat geography and lack of natural water runoff caused drainage systems to collapse under the pressure, offering little protection as homes quickly filled with water. Emergency shelters filled within hours, and many residents remain displaced with no clear timeline for return.
The Mayor’s plea is backed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who submitted the official request for a disaster declaration on April 17, and U.S. Senator John Cornyn, who echoed the urgency in a separate letter dated April 18. Despite these efforts, federal aid has yet to arrive, prompting the mayor’s direct appeal to the President.
“They placed their trust in their city. In their state. And in their nation,” Sepulveda wrote. “Now is the time to show them that trust was not misplaced.”
The requested federal support would unlock vital resources: temporary housing, emergency funding, public infrastructure restoration, and long-term recovery planning. Without it, Mayor Sepulveda warned that the city would struggle to rebuild and that residents would continue to suffer.
This isn’t just a call for assistance — it’s a cry for solidarity from a city known as the Capital of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Mayor Sepulveda is standing at the front lines, not only as a public official but also as a compassionate advocate for every family who has lost their home, livelihood, and sense of normalcy.
“I’ve hugged children who lost everything,” she said. “Every day without help makes hope harder to hold onto.”
Harlingen now waits — not with resignation, but with resilience — for a response that could change the course of its recovery.
For updates on Harlingen’s recovery efforts, visit cityofharlingen.com.
See letter below:
