Texans who sustained losses from the storms and flooding April 26-June 5 have one month remaining to apply for federal assistance as the deadline is July 16.
FEMA is helping 52,759 Texas households with $110.4 million in financial assistance. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $13.1 million in lowinterest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, private nonprofit organizations and businesses.
FEMA specialists have been working in 35 counties helping people apply for assistance. They have visited 67,597 homes and 5,430 public locations. FEMA has operated 33 Disaster Recovery Centers visited by 9,019 residents. More than 8,300 families with 25,000 members have stayed in hotels temporarily at FEMA expense because they could not return to their homes.
Homeowners and renters in Austin, Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Smith, Terrell, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker and Waller counties with uninsured losses from the storms and flooding April 26-June 5 may be eligible for FEMA assistance.
Texans have several options for how to apply for FEMA assistance. Homeowners and renters can: Go online to
DisasterAssistance.gov. Download the FEMA App for mobile devices.
Visit a Disaster Recovery Center. To find the center location nearest you go to fema.gov/drc.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, private nonprofit organizations and businesses of any size. Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster or by calling 800-659-2955.
SBA representatives are available to provide one-on-one assistance to disaster loan applicants at the Disaster Recovery Centers throughout the affected area. Business Recovery Centers are operating at University of Houston Downtown Marilyn Davies College of Business, Trini Mendenhall Community Center in Houston and East Montgomery County Improvement District in Montgomery County.
For more information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4781. Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x.com/FEMARegion6 and on Facebook at @femaregion6.
To view an accessible video about how to apply visit: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube.
FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Centers in Texas will be closed June 19 for the Juneteenth holiday and will resume operations at 7 a.m. June 20.
FEMA Individual Assistance helps Texans with disaster recovery by providing funds for basic, critical needs. FEMA assistance is not a substitute for insurance. Nor can it duplicate other sources of help.
FEMA may provide Serious Needs Assistance, Displacement Assistance, Home Repair Assistance, Rental Assistance, Personal Property Assistance, Transportation Assistance, Medical and Dental Assistance, and Funeral Assistance for eligible applicants.
If not approved, individuals may need to submit additional information to resume the application process. Many times, an application is determined to be “not approved” because of a missing document. Examples include: Proof of insurance coverage (Declaration Page); Copy of insurance settlement pertaining to damage caused by the storms; Proof of identity (U.S. passport, military I.D., motor vehicle registration, Social Security card along with a federal or state I.D., a payroll stub that shows all or part of your Social Security number); Proof of occupancy (lease or rental agreement, rent receipts, utility bills, motor vehicle registration, etc. FEMA has provided more ways to meet this requirement; Proof of ownership (deed or title, mortgage documentation, homeowner’s insurance policy, property tax bill or receipt, manufactured home certificate or title and home purchase contracts. FEMA has provided more ways to meet this requirement; Proof the damaged property was an individuals primary residence when the disaster occurred; If there are any questions about FEMA’s decision letter, people can visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the Disaster Assistance Helpline at 800-621-3362, open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT.
After applying for disaster assistance, FEMA may need to verify the disaster-caused damage through a home inspection. The inspector looks for these things, among others: Is the exterior of the home structurally sound, including the doors, roof and windows?
Does the electricity, gas, heat, plumbing, sewer and septic systems function properly?
Is the inside of the house habitable and structurally sound, including the ceiling and floors?
Is the home capable of being used for its intended purpose?
Is there a safe access to and from the home?
The inspector does not decide whether an individual will qualify for assistance. The inspection is only one of several criteria used to make a decision. The inspector will verify name, address, contact information, occupancy and ownership status, and insurance coverage. The inspector will walk through the home and note damage to the structure and to personal property caused by the disaster. The inspector will never ask for bank information or charge a fee.
In many cases, disasterrelated damage may exist, yet the residents can still safely live in their home. Each case different and every survivor has unique needs. There are several factors involved, including insurance status and the extent and type of damage documented.
Renters whose property was destroyed or damaged by the disaster may be eligible to apply for federal assistance. FEMA grants can help pay for temporary housing. Renters may also qualify for grants to replace or repair necessary personal property, such as furniture, appliances, clothing, textbooks or school supplies; a personal or family computer; replacement or repair of tools and other job-related equipment required by the selfemployed; primary vehicles; uninsured or out-of-pocket medical, dental, childcare, moving and storage expenses.
Every applicant has the right to appeal a FEMA decision. The appeal must be submitted within 60 days of the date of the decision letter.
The decision letter from FEMA will provide information on the types of documents or information that must be provided in an appeal. Individuals are not required to send a signed appeal letter with their documentation for the appeal. However, with the decision letter, FEMA will provide an Appeal Request Form that may be used to provide additional information.
An appeal may be submitted to FEMA in person at a Disaster Recovery Center, by mail or fax, or online if you have a FEMA online account. To set up a FEMA online account, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, click on “Apply Online” and follow the directions.
By mail: FEMA National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 207827055 By fax: 800-827-8112, Attention: FEMA FEMA cannot duplicate assistance provided to an individual by another source, such as insurance settlements or another program. However, if someone is underinsured they may receive further assistance for unmet needs after insurance claims have been settled by submitting a copy of the insurance settlement or denial documents to FEMA.
To apply, homeowners and renters can: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.
Download the FEMA App for mobile devices.
Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
Visit any Disaster Recovery Center. For locations and hours, go online to fema.gov/drc.