A disaster declaration was signed by the Hidalgo County judge in response to the weekend storms.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez says this is the first step in requesting state and federal assistance for Valley residents.

Overnight between Friday and Saturday, winds were gusting at up to about 80 miles per hour, which did lots of damage to homes and businesses, particularly in Hidalgo County.

The disaster declaration went into effect immediately and will remain in effect for seven days unless the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court decides to extend it.