Texas Disaster Recovery Assistance Tops $23 Million
Release Date: November 20, 1998
Release Number: 1257-039
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- In just one month, state and federal officials have approved more than $23 million in disaster recovery funds to help the nearly 20,000 individuals who have applied for help following the Oct. 17-31 floods in south and central Texas.
Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (DEM) today released the following figures on the status of disaster recovery assistance in the 36 declared counties as of the close of business Sat., Nov. 21:
- 19,844 calls were received at the National Teleregistration Center (1-800-462-9029, TTY 1-800-462-7585). Those who suffered flood losses called to register for federal and state aid, including housing assistance, disaster unemployment assistance, low-interest loans, income tax and social security assistance, veteran's assistance, serious needs and necessary expenses, and flood insurance information.
Following is a list of 36 declared counties and the number of applications received from those counties:Atascosa 34 Fayette 39 Matagorda 28 Austin 127 Fort Bend 117 Medina 11 Bastrop 219 Galveston 64 Montgomery 463 Bexar 4,728 Goliad 61 Nueces 528 Blanco 11 Gonzales 613 Refugio 55 Brazoria 56 Guadalupe 3,127 San Jacinto 101 Burleson 85 Harris 705 San Patricio 21 Caldwell 466 Hays 1,051 Travis 362 Calhoun 53 Jackson 20 Victoria 1,190 Colorado 81 Jefferson 23 Waller 284 Comal 2,071 Karnes 99 Wharton 729 DeWitt 1,607 Liberty 95 Wilson 416 - 18,810 registered individuals contacted FEMA's Helpline (1-800-525-0321, TTY 1-800-660-8005) with questions about the status of their disaster assistance application, filling out SBA forms or ways to rebuild to reduce future damages.
- Recovery Centers after they had registered for assistance. The centers give flood victims the opportunity to speak face-to-face with recovery specialists about disaster assistance and ask questions about their application. Seven centers remain open as of Nov. 23.
- 1,459 families and individuals have been approved by the Texas Department of Human Services to receive $6,992,501 in state-administered, FEMA- and state-funded grants for serious needs and necessary expenses not covered by other assistance programs.
- 7,306 checks totaling $14.2 million have been approved for minor home repairs or temporary rental assistance.
- $2.3 million in low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans have been approved for 56 homeowners, renters and businesses.
- 53 claims totaling $2,245 were approved for disaster unemployment insurance. This program is funded by FEMA and administered by the Texas Workforce Commission through the U.S. Department of Labor.
In addition to the services listed above, the following programs are available to flood victims:
- People wanting to rebuild after the disaster can call FEMA's mitigation hotline 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 1-800-628-5769 to speak with a mitigation counselor. They can learn about ways to repair, replace or retrofit structures to protect against floods and other natural disasters
- Victims may call the Disaster Legal Services Hotline at 1-800-504-7030 for assistance regarding:
- Insurance claims
- Mortgage foreclosure problems
- Home repair contracts
- Drafting powers of attorney
- Landlord-tenant issues
- Replacement of wills or other documents lost in the disaster
Individuals who suffered losses during the flood are urged to call FEMA's teleregistration at 1-800-462-9029 (TTY 1-800-462-7585) to apply for disaster assistance. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Deadline for applying is Dec. 21, 1998.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 20-Jan-2004 10:08:12