Hurricane Harvey Recovery Could Cost $180 Billion, Says Texas Governor

Hurricane Harvey has caused so much damage that the nearly $8 billion that the Trump Administration requested from the federal government is considered only a small down payment for recovery efforts. According to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, reliefs efforts could eventually total up to $180 billion.

Appearing on CNN’s "State of the Union" Sunday, Abbott said the state would need a massive commitment from the federal government and claimed the range affected by Harvey could surpass both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy combined.

"Let’s not compare it to Sandy. Let’s compare it to Katrina," Abbott said.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on Aug. 25. It was the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in several decades and has a death toll that has reached 50. It has displaced more than 1 million people and damaged roughly 200,000 homes in southeast Texas.

"This is a long road to hoe if we are going to rebuild the fourth largest city in the United States as well as the entire geographic region," Abbott said on Fox News Sunday.

The nearly $8 billion from the federal government could be delayed unless the government acts fast and raises the government’s debt ceiling, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News Sunday. If the debt ceiling isn’t increased soon, the government will not have the adequate funds to continue operations past Sept. 29, Mnuchin told lawmakers. Arrogating adequate funds to supplement the Harvey relief efforts could quicken the deadline, Mnuchin said.

"The president and I believe the [debt ceiling] should be tied to the Harvey funding," Mnuchin told Fox News. "With Harvey, it's moved the situation up earlier. And without raising the debt limit, I'm not comfortable that we would get the money that we need this month to Texas to rebuild."

Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri said on "Meet the Press" Sunday that Harvey’s aid fund will "likely" be merged with a bigger bill, which lawmakers will decide on soon.

"Whether you put that [Harvey aid] together with keeping the doors open for the government or the debt-ceiling vote, I think that’s something that will be decided in the next few days, I expect," Blunt said.

Recovery efforts continued Sunday with hopes to open businesses in Houston, according to Mayor Sylvester Turner. He suggested that whoever can conduct business should open their doors.

"I’m encouraging people to get up and let’s get going,” Turner said on "Meet the Press."

"There is still tremendous need. Don’t want to downplay that but most of the city is dry, and I’m saying to people — if you can open, let’s open up and let’s get started," Turner said.