Free Legal Help Available to Low-Income Texans Affected by April Floods

AUSTIN, Texas – Disaster often invites chaos, which can result in disagreement: tenants and landlords bicker over re-entry to damaged apartments, homeowners and contractors argue over billing for unfinished or subpar repairs.

“These are just some of the difficulties that Texas survivors may be facing after the recent flooding that may require legal assistance,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin Hannes, who is in charge of FEMA’s operations in Texas. “For those who can’t afford it, help is available.”

The State Bar of Texas, American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, FEMA and   other organizations have partnered to help provide assistance to affected individuals and families in the 12 counties designated by the April disaster: Austin, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Parker, San Jacinto, Waller and Wharton. The free service is offered to survivors who need legal assistance dealing with issues related to the storms and flooding and have no means to hire a lawyer.

A toll-free legal hotline (800-504-7030) is open to connect low-income individuals affected by the disaster with local legal aid providers who can help with: 

  • assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims;

  • counseling on landlord-tenant problems;

  • assistance securing FEMA and other government benefits available to disaster survivors;

  • help with home repair contracts and contractors;

  • replacement of wills and other important documents lost or destroyed in the disaster

  • consumer protection issues such as price gouging and avoiding contractor scams in rebuliding process and

  • counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems.

The hotline is available around the clock, seven days a week, and callers are also invited to leave a message. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with Texas lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Communications with an attorney are confidential.

Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service.

Other legal organizations assisting with disaster relief efforts include the Houston Bar Association (hba.org), Lone Star Legal Aid (lonestarlegal.org), the Texas Consumer Complaint Center at the University of Houston Law Center (texasccc.com, or 877-839-8422) and the American Red Cross (877-500-8645). National Disaster Legal Aid Online, or NDLA (available at: disasterlegalaid.org) is a collaborative effort of Lone Star Legal Aid, the American Bar Association (abanet.org/disaster), the Legal Services Corporation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Pro Bono Net.

Texans can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone at 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

For more information on the Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the April storms at fema.gov/disaster/4269; or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion6.

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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.

 

Original article – 

Free Legal Help Available to Low-Income Texans Affected by April Floods

FEMA Offers Advice for Texans on Lessening Storm Damage in Harris County at the Lowe’s in Baytown and at the North Loop West Home Depot in Houston

AUSTIN, Texas – A team of specialists from FEMA will visit Lowe’s and The Home Depot in Harris County to offer tips and techniques to lessen the impact of disaster-related property damage.

Specialists will be available at the following locations:

Where:           Lowe’s, 5002 Garth Road, Baytown, TX 77521

Hours:            7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday May 12-17

Where:           The Home Depot, 999 N. Loop W., Houston, TX 77008

Hours:            7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday May 12-17

FEMA Mitigation specialists will be on hand to answer questions and offer home improvement tips to reduce damage in future disasters. Information is geared to both do-it-yourselfers and general contractors on topics such as storm shelters and safe rooms.

Booklets are available in both English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage and other natural disasters. If you have a disability and need an accommodation to access Braille, large print or American Sign Language interpreters, please let our representatives know. More information about strengthening property can be found at fema.gov/what-mitigation and fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has a call center to answer policyholder questions, service claims, provide general information and offer technical assistance. To speak with a flood insurance specialist, call 800-621-3362 (FEMA), select option 2, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the April storms at fema.gov/disaster/4269; or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion6.

# # #

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.

Originally posted here:

FEMA Offers Advice for Texans on Lessening Storm Damage in Harris County at the Lowe’s in Baytown and at the North Loop West Home Depot in Houston

President Declares Disaster for State of Alabama

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Alabama to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of December 23-31, 2015.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding in Autauga, Barbour, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Lamar, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Perry, Pike, Russell, St. Clair, Walker, and Winston counties.

Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire State of Alabama.

Elizabeth Turner has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Turner said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Follow FEMA online at http://blog.fema.gov, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. 

Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. 

FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications. 

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.

Link: 

President Declares Disaster for State of Alabama

Disaster Recovery Center in Harris County Texas Transitioning to SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center August 28

AUSTIN, Texas – To meet the needs of Texans affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding from May 4 to June 22, a State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Harris County will transition to a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Outreach Center on Friday, Aug. 28.

Thursday, Aug. 27, is the final day for survivors to register for FEMA recovery assistance or to apply for a loan from SBA.

The Disaster Recovery Center at Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77074, will close on Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. On Friday, Aug. 28, an SBA center will open at that location at 9 a.m. Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice.

Representatives from the SBA will be available at the center to meet individually with residents and business owners to answer their questions, explain SBA’s disaster loan program, help them complete their applications and close their approved disaster loans. 

SBA low-interest disaster assistance loans of up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate.  Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 from SBA to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of making improvements that protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

Applying for an SBA low-interest disaster loan is part of federal disaster assistance. Many people who apply to FEMA are automatically referred for a low-interest disaster assistance loan. Survivors should complete SBA loan applications so they can be considered for all available disaster assistance.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money to fund long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit 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 uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

Survivors with questions regarding their FEMA applications or the appeals process after the DRC transitions to a Disaster Loan Outreach Center have several ways to obtain information:

  • Go online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

  • Call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available.
  • Visit the Texas Disaster Recovery website fema.gov/disaster/4223.
  • Contact U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visit SBA’s website at sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For more information on Texas recovery, go to Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/.

###

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

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. 

The 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 website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

Visit Texas Disaster Mitigation | FEMA.gov  for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.  

View post: 

Disaster Recovery Center in Harris County Texas Transitioning to SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center August 28

FEMA Advisors at Texas Home Improvement Stores Help Survivors Prevent Damage from Future Storms

AUSTIN, Texas – As Texans rebuild or repair their homes damaged by the May 4 through June 22 storms, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.

FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand in Brazoria, Harris, Travis, Walker, and Van Zandt counties at in-store information centers to answer questions and offer home improvement tips and proven methods to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared for do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

Also, if you’re thinking of building a storm shelter or safe room, literature is available about the best options. Safe rooms built to FEMA specifications have saved thousands of lives.

Advisors will be available at five locations Aug. 27 – Sept. 1. Except as noted, hours of operation are Thursday – Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Monday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday (Sept. 1), 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Brazoria County: Lowe’s located at 200 Highway 332 East, Lake Jackson, TX 77566

Harris County: Home Depot located at 10707 N. Fwy, Houston, TX 77037

Travis County: Home Depot located at 8801 S I-35, Austin, TX 78744

Walker County: Home Depot located at 215 Interstate 45 North, Huntsville, TX 77340

Van Zandt County: Ace Hardware, 221 E. Highway 243, Canton, TX 75103

Mitigation teams will also have free reference booklets in English and Spanish on protecting your home from flood damage and cleaning up mold and mildew. More information about strengthening property can be found at http://www.fema.gov/what-mitigation.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has a call center to answer Texas policyholders’ flood insurance questions. Specialists can help with servicing claims, providing general information and offering technical assistance to aid in recovery. To speak with a flood insurance specialist, call 800-621-3362 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4223, Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

###

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

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. 

The 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 website at sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

 

See original article:  

FEMA Advisors at Texas Home Improvement Stores Help Survivors Prevent Damage from Future Storms

19 More Texas Counties Eligible for FEMA Public Assistance

AUSTIN, Texas – Nineteen more Texas counties are now eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster aid. The aid includes all categories of work, including debris removal, emergency protective measures and infrastructure repairs in the wake of severe storms, tornadoes, straight line winds and flooding in Texas from May 4 to June 22.

Eligible applicants in Bosque, Brazoria, Collingsworth, Colorado, Coryell, Duval, Erath, Hall, Hardin, Jim Wells, Lubbock, McLennan, Palo Pinto, Shelby, Smith, Somervell, Tom Green, Washington and Young counties can now apply for FEMA Public Assistance (PA) reimbursement for repairs to roads and bridges, water control facilities, city- and county-owned buildings and equipment, utilities, parks and recreational facilities and other public as well as some private facilities.

Supplementary funding under the PA program goes to the state and its agencies, local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations. Under the program, FEMA obligates funds to the state for 75 percent of eligible costs, with the state and local governments sharing the remaining 25 percent of costs. The state forwards the federal funds to the eligible local governments or organizations that incurred costs.

Previously, 91 counties were designated as eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance Program: Angelina, Austin, Archer, Atascosa, Bastrop, Baylor, Blanco, Bowie, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Callahan, Cass, Cherokee, Clay, Comal, Comanche, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, DeWitt, Dickens, Eastland, Edwards, Ellis, Fannin, Fayette, Frio, Gaines, Garza, Gillespie, Gonzales, Grayson, Grimes, Harris, Harrison, Hartley, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Jack, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Kaufman, Kendall, Lamar, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Lynn, Madison, Milam, Montague, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Nueces, Newton, Orange, Parker, Polk, Real, Red River, Refugio, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Starr, Tarrant, Throckmorton, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Uvalde, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wharton, Wichita, Williamson, Wilson, Wise and Zavala.

For more information on Texas disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4223. You can follow us on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA.

For information on the Public Assistance process go to: https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance.

###

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

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. 

The 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 website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

 

 

Original post: 

19 More Texas Counties Eligible for FEMA Public Assistance

Disaster Recovery Center in Grayson County Transitioning to SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center

AUSTIN, Texas – To meet the needs of Texans affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding from May 4 to June 22, the State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Sherman will transition to a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Outreach Center on Monday.

The Disaster Recovery Center at the Sherman Youth Center, located at 407 W. Washington St., Sherman, TX will close on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 2 p.m.

On Monday, Aug. 3, an SBA center will open at the Grayson County Courthouse.

Representatives from the SBA will be available at the center to meet individually with residents and business owners to answer their questions, explain SBA’s disaster loan program, help them complete their applications and close their approved disaster loans. 

Residents who have questions or need assistance should visit the Disaster Loan Outreach Center at:

                               Grayson County Courthouse Room A-3-2,

100 W. Houston St., Sherman, TX.

Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

SBA low-interest disaster assistance loans of up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate.  Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 from SBA to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of making improvements that protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

Applying for an SBA low-interest disaster loan is part of federal disaster assistance. Many people who apply to FEMA are automatically referred for a low-interest disaster assistance loan. Survivors should complete SBA loan applications so they can be considered for all available disaster assistance.

People can still apply for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 toll free from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) daily until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY should call 800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money to fund long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit 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 uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4223, Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/.

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All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

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. 

The 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 website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See the original article here: 

Disaster Recovery Center in Grayson County Transitioning to SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center

18 More Texas Counties Eligible for FEMA Public Assistance

AUSTIN, Texas – Eighteen more Texas counties are now eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster aid. The aid includes all categories of work, including debris removal, emergency protective measures and infrastructure repairs in the wake of severe storms, tornadoes, straight line winds and flooding in Texas from May 4 to June 22.

Eligible applicants in Austin, Brown, Delta, DeWitt, Ellis, Gonzales, Hopkins, Jack, Jones, Orange, Red River, Robertson, San Augustine, Starr, Tarrant, Throckmorton, Waller and Wichita counties can now apply for FEMA Public Assistance (PA) reimbursement for repairs to roads and bridges, water control facilities, city- and county-owned buildings and equipment, utilities, parks and recreational facilities and other public as well as some private facilities.

Supplementary funding under the PA program goes to the state and its agencies, local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations. Under the program, FEMA obligates funds to the state for 75 percent of eligible costs, with the state and local governments sharing the remaining 25 percent of costs. The state forwards the federal funds to the eligible local governments or organizations that incurred costs.

Previously, 73 counties were designated as eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance Program: Angelina, Archer, Atascosa, Bastrop, Baylor, Blanco, Bowie, Burleson, Caldwell, Callahan, Cass, Cherokee, Clay, Comal, Comanche, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Dickens, Eastland, Edwards, Fannin, Fayette, Frio, Gaines, Garza, Gillespie, Grayson, Grimes, Harris, Harrison, Hartley, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hood, Houston, Jasper, Johnson, Kaufman, Kendall, Lamar, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Lynn, Madison, Milam, Montague, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Nueces, Newton, Parker, Polk, Real, Refugio, Rusk, Sabine, San Jacinto, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Uvalde, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Wharton, Williamson, Wilson, Wise and Zavala.

For more information on Texas disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4223. You can follow us on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA.

For information on the Public Assistance process go to: https://www.fema.gov/public-assistance.

###

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

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. 

The 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 website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4223, Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

 

 

Taken from – 

18 More Texas Counties Eligible for FEMA Public Assistance

Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Walker County for Texas Flood Survivors

AUSTIN, Texas – A State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is now open in Walker County for homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding from May 4 to June 19.

Specialists from the State of Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), nongovernmental organizations and the local community are on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors. Services are provided in English and Spanish.

The recovery center serves survivors from any of the 36 counties designated for Individual Assistance who need one-on-one help. State and federal professionals will be available to assist eligible survivors get help as quickly as possible.

Location and hours of operation

Old Walker County Annex Building
Early Voting Room
1301 Sam Houston Ave. (between 12th and 13th Streets)
Huntsville, TX 77340
 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday
The DRC will cease operations at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 17

People who had storm damage can register for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 toll free from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY should call 800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Visiting with a recovery specialist is not a requirement for survivors who want disaster assistance, but the centers are an excellent way for people to get answers to their questions about disaster aid and help applying for it. Some of the services may include:

  • Guidance regarding disaster recovery
  • Clarification of any written correspondence received
  • Housing Assistance and Rental Resources information
  • Answers to questions, resolutions to problems and referrals to agencies that may provide further assistance
  • Status of applications being processed by FEMA

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. Low-interest disaster loans from SBA may be available to cover losses not fully

compensated by insurance or other resources 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.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4223. Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

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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. 

The 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 website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call
800-877-8339.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

Read this article: 

Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Walker County for Texas Flood Survivors

America’s PrepareAthon! First National Day of Action

WASHINGTON — Today is the first national day of action for America’s PrepareAthon! Today, individuals, families, workplaces, schools and organizations are coming together to practice simple activities to stay safe before, during, and after four types of hazards−floods, wildfires, tornadoes and hurricanes.

It’s not too late to join the more than 5 million people expected to participate in events across the country today and in the coming weeks and be counted in the movement.

The goal of America’s PrepareAthon! is to build a more secure and resilient nation by increasing awareness about what disasters could happen in communities and what to do to be safe and prepared. The campaign is focused on getting people to take action to increase their level of emergency preparedness and participate in community resilience planning. Resources to help you get started are available at www.ready.gov/prepare.

Here’s how to take action today:

  • Be Smart: Download guides to learn how to prepare for a tornado, hurricane, flood or wildfire
  • Take Part: Plan activities and host an event locally in the coming weeks.
  • Prepare: Practice a drill or have a discussion about preparedness
  • Share: Promote activities, events and best practices with national preparedness community members. Register an event at www.ready.gov/prepare.
  • Alerts and warnings: Timely information about severe weather or disasters can make all the difference in an emergency. Sign up for local alerts and warnings and check your mobile device to see if it is capable of receiving free Wireless Emergency Alerts by contacting your cellular service provider or visiting www.ctia.org/WEA.
  •  Safeguard critical documents: Following a disaster, having access to personal financial, insurance, and medical records is crucial for starting the recovery process. 

America’s PrepareAthon! events are happening around the country. Here is just a sampling:

May Day Houston – Hosted by the Houston Community Preparedness Collaborative, this citywide event has designated May 1 as the city’s official preparedness day. Individuals, companies, and groups join together to celebrate and promote preparedness.

#Petpared Twitter Challenge – Complete pet preparedness actions, like creating a pet emergency kit and taking pets on an emergency drill. After finishing, take a picture of your pet and yourself and tweet it with the hashtag #Petpared by April 30.

Colorado Federal Employee PrepareAthon! Exercise – All federal agencies in Colorado are participating in a tornado and evacuation drill on April 30.

Jefferson County Lunch and Learn Session (West Virginia) hosts a “lunch and learn” session on personal financial preparedness for national disasters on April 30 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Finger Lakes Disaster Volunteer Campaign (Rochester, NY) – Finger Lakes Regional Volunteer Center are kicking off a nine county virtual event to recruit non-medical disaster volunteers on April 30.

Red Cross Community Presentation (Culver City, CA) – Community ambassadors for the American Red Cross are hosting a quarterly meeting to discuss community support for the Red Cross mission to prepare, respond and recover from disaster on April 30 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Local AM Radio Station Hosts Preparedness Talk – WINY1350 in Putnam, Connecticut are hosting a one hour presentation on preparedness education airing April 30 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center National Preparedness Awareness – On April 30, Brookdale are educating staff, communities, patients and their families of the importance of being prepared.

Learning protective actions and taking time to practice them, you, your family and your community can be ready to respond.

America’s PrepareAthon! participants commit to taking at least one concrete step to prepare for a hazard they might face in their community. The America’s PrepareAthon! website, www.ready.gov/prepare, provides Day of Action guides, How to Prepare guides, and customizable promotional materials designed to help Americans take action and join the growing number of individuals who recognize that preparing for disasters is a shared responsibility.

Follow the discussion on Twitter by following @PrepareAthon or #PrepareAthon. For questions about America’s PrepareAthon! contact PrepareAthon@fema.dhs.gov. For more information, go to www.ready.gov/prepare.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications. 

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.

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America’s PrepareAthon! First National Day of Action

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