FEMA assistance available for storm victims

FEMA has announced the availability of disaster assistance for Texans affected by the storms and flooding that began on April 26. This aid aims to cover basic home repairs, temporary housing rentals, and other uninsured expenses resulting from the severe weather. While FEMA assistance can provide crucial support, it is not a substitute for insurance coverage.

Housing Assistance

Home Repair or Replacement: Money to help you repair or replace your home damaged by the disaster. For example, this may include addressing mold caused by the disaster, or money for hazard mitigation measures. Mitigation measures are actions you can take when making repairs that will help reduce the amount of damage to your home in future disasters. The money can also help with pre-existing damage to parts of your home where the disaster caused further damage.

Accessibility Needs: Money to help survivors with a disability with specific repairs to make sure their home is accessible, such as an exterior ramp, grab bars, and paved path to the home entrance. Repairs can be made when these items are damaged. Improvements can be made when those features were not present prior to the disaster, and they are needed due to a pre-existing disability, or a disability caused by the disaster.

Privately-owned Roads, Bridges, Docks: Money for survivors whose only access to their home has been damaged by the disaster.

Rental Assistance: Money you can use to rent housing if you are displaced from your home because of the disaster.

Sheltering Assistance

Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA): FEMA pays the cost of room, taxes and non-refundable pet fees directly to participating hotels and motels. Pet fees will only be paid up to the approved limit of assistance for individual rooms. TSA may be available if you cannot return to your disaster-damaged home and your housing needs cannot be met by insurance, shelters or rental assistance provided by FEMA or another agency.

Other Needs Assistance

Serious Needs: Money to help you pay for lifesaving and life-sustaining items, including water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, breastfeeding supplies, diapers, consumable medical supplies, durable medical equipment, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation.

Displacement: Money to help with immediate housing needs if you cannot return to your home because of the disaster. The money can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends or for other options while you look for temporary housing.

Personal Property: Money to help you repair or replace appliances, room furnishings, a personal or family computer damaged by the disaster, books, uniforms, tools, additional computers and other items required for school or work, including self-employment.

Medical/Dental: Money to help you pay for medical expenses because the disaster caused an injury or illness. This money can also be used to help replace medical/dental equipment, breastfeeding equipment, or prescribed medicine damaged or lost because of the disaster.

Funeral: Money to help you pay for funeral or reburial expenses caused by the disaster.

Child Care: Money to help you pay for increased or new child care expenses caused by the disaster.

Assistance for Miscellaneous Items: Money to help you pay for specific items, (such as a generator, dehumidifier, chainsaw, etc.) that you purchased or rented after the disaster to assist with recovery. The miscellaneous items may be used for gaining access to your property or for cleaning efforts caused by the disaster.

Transportation: Money to help you repair or replace a vehicle damaged by the disaster when you don’t have another vehicle you can use.

Moving and Storage Expenses: Money to help you move and store personal property from your home to prevent additional damage, usually while you are making repairs to your home or moving to a new place due to the disaster.

Group Flood Insurance Policy: If your home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area and you have flood damage caused by the disaster, FEMA may purchase a Group Flood Insurance Policy on your behalf that gives you three years of coverage.

Clean and Sanitize: Money to help you pay for minor damage caused by the disaster to prevent additional loss and potential health or safety concerns. This money is only available in certain disasters if you had property damage but were not eligible for Home Repair or Replacement Assistance because FEMA determined you could still live safely in your home.

Apply to FEMA

Texans living in Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Denton, Eastland, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, and Waller counties can apply for assistance by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish), by calling 800-621-3362, visiting a Disaster Recovery Center or using the FEMA mobile app.

Disaster Recovery Center locations

Hardin County: Hardin County Courthouse Annex, 1135 Redwood St., Kountze, Texas

Harris County:

• Leon Z Grayson Community Center, 13828 Corpus Christi St., Houston, Texas
• Vera B. May Community Center, 2100 Wolf Road, Huffman, Texas
• Thomas A. Glazier Senior Education Center, 16600 Pine Forest Lane, Houston, Texas
• Fonde Recreation Community Center, 110 Sabine St., Houston, Texas
• Spring Branch Family Development Center, 8575 Pitner Rd., Houston

Jasper County: Jasper County Courthouse Annex, 271 E Lamar St., Ste 101, Jasper, Texas

Jones County: Jones County Law Enforcement Center, 402 2nd St., Anson, Texas

Lamar County: Chisum Elementary School, 3250 S. Church St., Paris, Texas

Liberty County: Jack Hartel Building, 318 San Jacinto St., Liberty, Texas

Montgomery County: East Montgomery County Community Development Center, 16401 1st St., Splendora, Texas

Polk County: Livingston Public Library, 707 N. Tyler Ave., Livingston, Texas 77351

San Jacinto County: Innovation Center, 250 Live Oak St., Coldspring, Texas

Trinity County: 101 W. Jefferson St., Trinity, Texas

Walker County: Walker County Storm Shelter, 455 TX 75 N, Huntsville, Texas