Over half of Texas' 254 counties were left out of a federal disaster declaration, making them ineligible to receive federal relief funds. Credit: Sarah M. Vasquez for The Texas Tribune Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. For 33 years, Debbie Gosnell has served as the city manager of Cross Plains, which is 44 miles southeast of Abilene. She’s helped the Callahan County town of around 1,000 residents through tornados and a fire that she said nearly destroyed the town in 2005. Now she’s helping the town recover after a historic freeze that affected every corner of the state.