Texas Receives Federal Disaster Declaration; Texans Urged to Apply for Disaster Aid

Texas Receives Federal Disaster Declaration; Texans Urged to Apply for Disaster Aid

DENTON, Texas – Texans affected by the recent severe storms should register now with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

President Barack Obama issued a major disaster declaration Nov. 25 for 15 Texas counties. It makes federal Individual Assistance available to eligible families, individuals, renters and business owners in Bastrop, Brazoria, Caldwell, Comal, Galveston, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Hidalgo, Liberty, Navarro, Travis, Willacy and Wilson counties.  

People in these 15 counties who had damage from the Oct. 22-31 storms can register for FEMA assistance three ways:

• Online, or via smartphone or web-enabled device, at www.DisasterAssistance.gov;

• By calling 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. The registration hotline will be open on Thanksgiving Day.

Assistance for eligible survivors can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and for other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs. Long-term, low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also may be available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

Eligible survivors should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.

Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if the person has registered with another disaster-relief organization such as the American Red Cross, or local community or church organization. FEMA registrants must use the name that appears on their Social Security card. Applicants will be asked to provide:

• Social Security number

• Address of the damaged home or apartment

• Description of the damage

• Information about insurance coverage

• A current contact telephone number

• An address where they can get mail

• Bank account and routing numbers if they want direct deposit of any financial assistance.

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Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.  Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800)877-8339.

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