FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 22, 2007
CONTACT: Geoff Embler or Matt Mackowiak
Senator Hutchison Announces FEMA Expands Individual, Public Flooding Assistance to Nineteen Texas Counties
Federal Assistance Funds Now Available in more than 71 Counties
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has increased the number of counties eligible for public and individual assistance from the flooding that occurred in Texas from June 16 to August 3.
“I am pleased FEMA has included these additional counties so Texans in those communities can get the help they need to repair and rebuild,” said Sen. Hutchison. “I’ll continue working with the federal, state and local government to make sure Texas gets the resources it needs.”
The additional thirteen counties that are now eligible for Public Assistance (PA) funds are Atascosa, Delta, Edwards, Ellis, Jim Hogg, Real, Refugio, Shackelford, Upshur, Uvalde, Henderson, Hood, and Zavala. In addition to these eight counties, there are 50 counties currently eligible for PA funds: Anderson, Archer, Baylor, Bee, Brown, Bosque, Burnet, Callahan, Cherokee, Coleman, Comanche, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Denton, Eastland, Erath, Fannin, Grayson, Hamilton, Hill, Hunt, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Medina, Menard, Mills, Montague, Navarro, Parker, Runnels, San Saba, Smith, Starr, Stephens, Tarrant, Throckmorton, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Webb, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson and Wise Counties.
PA funds are intended to help repair and restore damaged infrastructure and can be used for debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster, and the repair or replacement of damaged public facilities such as roads, buildings and utilities.
The additional six counties that are now eligible for Individual Assistance (IA) funds are Atascosa, Liberty, Refugio, San Patricio, Taylor, and Upshur. In addition to these six counties, there are 33 counties currently eligible for IA funds: Archer, Bee, Bell, Brown, Burnet, Cherokee, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Denton, Eastland, Grayson, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Henderson, Hood, Lampasas, Llano, Medina, Nueces, Parker, Runnels, Smith, Starr, Tarrant, Travis, Van Zandt, Victoria, Webb, Walker, Wichita, Williamson, and Zavala Counties.
According to FEMA, IA funds can be used for “temporary housing, home repairs, and other disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration may be available to help renters, homeowners, and businesses recover from losses not fully compensated by insurance.”
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