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More Than $22.7 Million in Federal Disaster Aid to Help Texas Communities Recover from the March Storm

AUSTIN, Texas – Federal officials estimate more than $22.7 million in disaster assistance will help fund local governments’ recovery from the March 7-29 tornadoes and flooding.

The presidential declaration on March 19 made federal assistance available to 13 Texas counties including Erath, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hood, Jasper, Limestone, Marion, Newton, Orange, Parker, Shelby and Tyler.

FEMA funds helping fuel the recovery in these counties include Public Assistance, an essential element of federal disaster response that benefits everyone—neighborhoods, cities and states, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations.

Public Assistance dollars help local governments:

clean up the community and repair roads and bridges;
put water systems and utilities back in order;
repair hospitals and emergency services;
rebuild libraries and replace damaged books;
rebuild schools and universities; and
restore damaged public parks for families to enjoy again.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides a minimum of 75 percent of the cost to repair or replace disaster-damaged infrastructure.

“Public Assistance grants support the work that helps an entire community recover,” said Federal Coordinating Officer William J. Doran III, who is in charge of FEMA’s operations in Texas. “These are federal tax dollars coming back to Texas to rebuild taxpayer-funded infrastructure.”

Public Assistance grant recipients can include:

state agencies;
local and county governments; and
private nonprofit organizations that own or operate facilities providing essential government services.

For more information on the Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the March storms at fema.gov/disaster/4266; or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion6.

Download fema.gov/mobile-app to locate open shelters and disaster recovery centers, receive severe weather alerts, safety tips and much more.

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Download fema.gov/mobile-app to locate open shelters and disaster recovery centers, receive severe weather alerts, safety tips and much more.

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More Than $22.7 Million in Federal Disaster Aid to Help Texas Communities Recover from the March Storm

A Letter From FEMA May Require Follow-Up

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas storm survivors who receive a letter from FEMA that they are ineligible for disaster assistance should not give up—but should follow up instead. The issue may be as simple as a misprinted number or an unsigned document.

After registering with FEMA, applicants can expect a notice by mail about whether they qualify for federal disaster assistance. Read the letter carefully.

If eligible, the letter explains the amount of the grant and how it is to be used.
If ineligible—if the grant amount reads “0”—applicants may still qualify.

Applicants who are denied assistance can call the FEMA Helpline for an explanation why, or go online to DisasterAssistance.gov. A denial letter may mean the application is missing information such as verification of occupancy of the damaged property, proof of identity, documentation of disaster damage, or what is covered under an insurance policy. Call the FEMA Helpline if you do not receive a letter.

FEMA examines several factors to determine if a survivor will receive disaster assistance. The agency must be able to:

Verify disaster-related damage. If your property was inspected and you believe the inspector did not see all the damage, call the FEMA Helpline: 800-621-3362 (FEMA).
Collect an applicant’s insurance information.
Verify an applicant’s identity.
Verify home occupancy. Applicants must provide proof of occupancy such as a utility bill.

In Texas, federal disaster assistance is available to residents of Erath, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hood, Jasper, Limestone, Marion, Newton, Orange, Parker, Shelby and Tyler counties who suffered damage from the March 7-29 storms.

Survivors who suffered damage in the impacted counties are urged to register for assistance. To do so:

Go to DisasterAssistance.gov; or
By phone (voice, 711 or video relay service) at 800-621-3362 (FEMA), TTY 800-462-7585. Toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
Visit any disaster recovery center in the disaster-affected counties.

The deadline to register for federal assistance is May 18.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the April storms at fema.gov/disaster/4266 or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion6.

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A Letter From FEMA May Require Follow-Up

FEMA Aid Recipients Cautioned on Using Funds for Intended Purpose

AUSTIN, Texas – Recovery officials are cautioning Texans who have received disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to use the funds for their intended purpose and to keep disaster spending receipts for three years.

Disaster assistance is to help residents meet basic disaster-related needs and funds are distributed via check or direct deposit. A letter explaining what the payment is to be used for arrives within a day or two of the check or direct deposit payment.

If an applicant spends the payment on anything other than the purpose for which it is directed, he/she may be denied assistance the next time the need arises. In some cases, FEMA will ask the funds be returned.

Those receiving aid are urged to keep receipts of their disaster spending for three years to document the money was used to meet disaster-related needs. If a recipient receives an insurance settlement to cover the same expenses, he or she must reimburse FEMA. Random audits confirm funds were spent properly.

Disaster assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners.

Homeowners, renters and businesses in Erath, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hood, Jasper, Limestone, Marion, Newton, Orange, Parker, Shelby and Tyler counties are eligible for federal disaster assistance as a result of the severe storms in March.

The first step is to register with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone (voice, 711 or video relay service) at 800-621-3362, TTY 800-462-7585. Toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week and multilingual operators are available.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage at fema.gov/disaster/4266, Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Visit fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

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FEMA Aid Recipients Cautioned on Using Funds for Intended Purpose

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Columbia, Caldwell Parish; Homer, Claiborne Parish; and Leesville, Vernon Parish, for Louisiana Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. – Disaster recovery centers will open Friday, April 1, in Columbia, Caldwell Parish; Homer, Claiborne Parish; and Leesville, Vernon Parish, to help Louisiana flood survivors. The centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays until further notice.

The disaster recovery centers are located at the following addresses:

Caldwell Parish Community Center
105 Henderson St. (Corner of Henderson and Community Center Street)
Columbia, La.

Parish Police Jury Complex
507 W. Main St.
Homer, La.

Parish Fairgrounds Agriculture Exhibit Building
276 H.M Stephens Blvd. (Off of LA Hwy 8 West)
Leesville, La.

More centers are planned to open in other parishes. Survivors may locate centers online at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling 800-621-3362.

Representatives from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration, volunteer groups and other agencies are at the center to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses. They can also help survivors apply for federal disaster assistance.

It is not necessary to visit a center to register for and receive federal disaster assistance. If possible, survivors should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center.

To register, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585 to register. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service or require accommodations while visiting a center may call 800-621-3362. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids. Each disaster recovery center has assistive technologies for people with disabilities. ASL interpreters are available at the DRCs by calling 225-382-1739.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available for businesses of all sizes including landlords, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries.

For more information, applicants may contact the SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or visiting the SBA’s website at sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov/disaster/4263.

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We urge everyone to continue to use caution in areas where floodwaters remain. Monitor DOTD’s www.511la.org website for updated road closure information. Look for advisories from your local authorities and emergency managers. You can find the latest information on the state’s response at www.emergency.la.gov. GOHSEP also provides information on Facebook and Twitter. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. You can also download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

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 businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters 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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Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Columbia, Caldwell Parish; Homer, Claiborne Parish; and Leesville, Vernon Parish, for Louisiana Survivors

Fifteen Illinois Counties Added for Public Assistance

AURORA, Ill. – Fifteen additional Illinois counties are now eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) program as part of the federal disaster declaration for severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding during the period of April 16 to May 5.

This eligibility means that cities, counties, and certain private nonprofit organizations can apply for reimbursement for eligible costs incurred during the spring severe weather. Categories of eligible work that may be funded by FEMA are debris removal, emergency protective measures, repair or replacement of roads and bridges, water control facilities, buildings and equipment, utilities, and parks and recreational facilities.

This brings to 39 the total number of Illinois counties designated for PA. The counties (new counties are bold faced) are Adams, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Crawford, DuPage, Fulton, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Henderson, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Lawrence, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Pike, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, Will and Woodford.

PA is a cost-sharing program with FEMA paying 75 percent. The remainder is the responsibility of the state and local governments.

Federal Hazard Mitigation funding for the entire state was included in the original disaster declaration on May 10.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Fifteen Illinois Counties Added for Public Assistance