Texas Agencies Continue Assistance To Areas Flooded By Tropical Storm
Release Date: July 10, 2001
Release Number: 1379-59
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Austin, TX -- One month after the presidential disaster declaration for Tropical Storm Allison, the recovery efforts continue to involve many state programs. Agencies that are charged with delivering human services, environmental protection, consumer protection, infrastructure, law enforcement, legal and criminal justice agencies have coordinated with local and federal agencies to provide recovery assistance.
The Division of Emergency Management (DEM), Texas Department of Public Safety, coordinates the state response to natural and man-made disasters. After a presidential disaster declaration, DEM works with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
During this stage of flood recovery, state agencies are available to help citizens rebuild their homes and lives. Those agencies include:
- The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (TDMHMR) offers crisis counseling and stress management to those affected by a natural disaster. At all of the Disaster Recovery Centers, counselors are seeing about 250 people each day. The department has obtained a FEMA crisis-counseling grant that will allow them to provide home visits and group education.
- The State Comptroller's Office offers tax breaks to residents and business owners whose property was damaged. Businesses will, upon request, be granted a 90-day extension to file June and July sales tax returns. Almost 300 businesses have already applied for the tax-extension. In addition, homeowners and renters do not have to pay sales taxes on services to repair storm-damaged property, such as dry cleaning, carpet cleaning and appliance repairs. For more information, the Comptroller has a toll-free hotline, (800) 252-5555.
- Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has received applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) from 1,596 people who were unable to work due to flooding from Tropical Storm Allison. To be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, people have to have worked or been scheduled to work in the disaster area, but because of the disaster no longer have a job, a place to work in the area, or could not get to their place of work because of disaster damage; have been prevented from working by an injury or illness as a direct result of the disaster; or have become the head of the household and need employment because the head of the household died as a result of the disaster. The deadline to apply for DUA in the 28 originally declared counties is Monday, July 16.
- The Texas Department of Human Services (DHS) already has approved more than $96.8 million in grants through its Individual and Family Grant Program (IFG). The state-administered program may provide assistance for damaged essential personal property and/or personal vehicles. On July 7, Department of Human Services Houston Region opened 10 offices to assist existing food stamp clients with replacement of their food benefits damaged by the flooding in June. Clients have until July 20 to apply for replacement. The department also provided 100,000 gallons of water and 100,000 pounds of ice to towns and shelters. The deadline for flood victims to apply for IFG benefits is Aug. 8.
- The Texas Department of Health (TDH) Health Facility Licensing and Compliance Division (HFLC) Hospital Licensing Section has been assisting flood-damaged hospitals by making accommodations to hospitals' licenses so they can continue to operate despite hardships. TDH office staff members also have contacted more than 185 hospitals in more than 60 counties about their bed availability in case major Houston hospitals need to transfer patients. TDH participated in a rapid needs study conducted by the Houston Department of Health and Human Services that will be used for future emergency planning for the city of Houston. The regional Pesticide Applicator Program provided technical assistance to mosquito control districts and local jurisdictions regarding vector control issues. An investigator with the regional Product Safety Program investigated a complaint at a toy warehouse in northeast Houston and witnessed the disposal of more than 70,000 flood-contaminated stuffed animals to ensure they did not enter the marketplace.
- The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has representatives at each Disaster Recovery Center and visits local residential areas to answer insurance questions, provide help with filing claims, and when necessary, accept formal complaints against insurance companies. These teams have been averaging 110 contacts per day since the disaster event. TDI also has taken more than 150 complaints against insurance companies.
- The Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (TNRCC) continues working with local governments in establishing household hazardous waste collections sites in the 30 disaster counties and handling of debris removal to permitted landfills. For information about disposal of household hazardous waste from Tropical Storm Allison, call (888) 468-4445. The agency also is following up with the petrochemical companies in the Houston Ship Channel on any necessary cleanup or removals resulting from the flooding. During the flooding and shortly thereafter, TNRCC collected 529 floating containers of chemicals in the ship channel and handled oil spills resulting from the flood. It also worked closely with 34 public water supply systems, which had to issue boil water notices to customers because of contaminated water supply systems.
- Texas State Library (TSL) is working with state and local agencies that experienced flood damage. Their specialty is the recovery of government records or authorizing the destruction of those that are not recoverable.
- The Office of Attorney General (OAG) is warning citizens about consumer fraud and price gouging that could follow disasters. The office maintains two toll-free hotlines to field such complaints. The office has received calls concerning complaints about hotels, auto repairs, tow truck companies, convenience stores, furniture stores, carpet repair and cleaning, car rentals and plumbing. Working with the Harris County Attorney, the OAG has opened 24 flood-related investigations: 19 involving towing companies, four concerning carpet cleaning or removal, and one on a local motel. The toll-free numbers are (800) 337-3928and (800) 621-0508. The number for the Houston office is (713) 223-5886.
- The State Bar of Texas, working with the Houston Bar Association, Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, Texas Young Lawyers Association and Houston Young Lawyers Association, is providing a toll free hotline for that Texans who need legal advice in rebuilding their lives due to the recent flooding in Southeast Texas. People can call (800) 504-7030for assistance with basic legal questions. The free legal assistance hotline will operate 24 hours a day. A voice mail system in English, Spanish and Vietnamese will take information from callers when operators are not available.
- During the actual flood, state agencies were on the scene almost immediately to help people in danger, rescuing thousands of people, including critically ill patients and premature babies.
- The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) deployed strike teams with 10 boats and 80 people to the city of Houston and had other rescue workers on Texas National Guard helicopters.
- The Texas Forest Service (TFS) removed 32 critically ill patients by helicopter. The Forest Service also helped the hospitals by providing 12,000 gallons of diesel fuel each day for working generators and using 25 high-volume pumps to get out 28 million gallons of floodwater from Memorial Hermann Hospital.
- The Texas National Guard deployed more than 400 troops during the disaster. The Guard rescued or evacuated about 3,500 people using high-profile trucks and helicopters. One Black Hawk helicopter evacuated four premature infants to an Austin hospital and another took six babies to a hospital in Tyler. One Guard crew used a helicopter to rescue 103 people from a road intersection in Northeast Houston. Another flew 49 people from high ground to an elementary school shelter. The Guard activated a total of 16 aircraft, eight UH-60 Black Hawks and 6 CH-47 Chinooks. The helicopters also were used to transfer swift water rescue teams into flooded neighborhoods.
- The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) assigned 125 people to support recovery operations. The department also has been distributing information on steps buyers can take to protect themselves from unknowingly buying flood-damaged vehicles.
- The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) worked with Southwestern Bell to restore emergency, business and residential telephone service involving 100,000 access lines throughout the area affected by the storm.
- The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) had three offender crews cleaning up schools in Northeast Harris County. There were two other offender crews helping the Salvation Army unload its supplies.
Last Modified: Friday, 17-Oct-2003 16:01:55