RG021 - June 2018 Texas Hurricane Harvey Recovery Guide

Help remains after Disaster Recovery Centers close The 82 State of Texas/Federal Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) that were opened in the wake of Hurricane Harvey to assist survivors have permanently closed. However, help is still just a mouse click, phone call or tap on the FEMA app away. Get assistance by logging into your account at DisasterAssistance.gov, calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or downloading the FEMA app at fema.gov/mobile-app.

TSA program winds downThe Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which provides short-term shelter to evacuees who cannot return to their homes, expires June 30 after 308 days

of support. Disaster case managers worked closely with the households that remained in the program as it approached expiration to finalize their future housing plans. Since Harvey, people in 54,639 affected households have sheltered at hotels through TSA, including 26,591 that received more than two months of assistance. For more information, visit https://go.usa.gov/xUxjf. Find a list of resources for survivors moving on from TSA at https://go.usa.gov/xUxZX.

Hurricane season is here: Prepare your home and familyHurricane season arrived this month, potentially bringing dangerous

and unpredictable weather.

Follow these steps to help keep your family safe and ease your transition to recovery if disaster strikes:

• Prepare an emergency kit with water, food

and medications for at least three days as well as cash, a first aid kit, a flashlight and documents you will need if you evacuate. Consider purchasing equipment to charge

your cell phone, and don’t forget your pets’ needs.

• Know where to go: Do you know your local hurricane evacuation route? After you evacuate, do you have a planned destination? If you don’t have time to evacuate, do you know where to find a safe room or storm shelter?

• Get insured: Flood insurance, wind insurance and homeowners insurance cover different things. Make sure you understand your policies, or you could end up with a huge bill. Learn more at https://go.usa.gov/xQ7px.

• Download the FEMA app at fema.gov/mobile-app to

receive alerts, safety reminders, survival tips and up-to-date disaster information.

• Make a family communication plan: - Write down each family member’s cell number and email address as well as important numbers like schools, doctors and insurance companies. Every family member should carry this list. - Arrange a meeting place in your neighborhood and another place out of town in case of evacuation. - Each family member should store an emergency contact in their phone under the name “In Case of Emergency,” which emergency responders know to look for.

For more tips, visit https://go.usa.gov/xUaCr and https://go.usa.gov/xUaC4.

Keep InformedFor more information on Hurricane Harvey

and Texas recovery, visit: www.fema.gov/hurricane-harvey

or the Texas Division of Emergency Management at: www.dps.texas.gov/dem/

Stay in TouchFor updates on your application status or appeals, visit:

www.DisasterAssistance.gov 800-621-3362 (711 or VRS) OR 800-462-7585 (TTY)

To find the nearest Disaster Recovery Center, visit: www.fema.gov/drc

RG021 - June 2018

FEMA assistance is a supplement to private recovery efforts — not a substituteMore than 373,000 Texas individuals or households have received financial assistance from FEMA since Hurricane Harvey, helping them meet essential needs and return to safe, sanitary homes. FEMA, however, cannot compensate survivors for all their losses or attempt to return their homes and property to their pre-disaster state. For that, survivors must rely on insurance and their own resources.

To protect yourself and your property, consider purchasing homeowners, renters, flood, and wind insurance. Each type of insurance covers different things, and they are the only way you can expect to be made whole after a disaster. For more on these insurance types, visit https://go.usa.gov/xQ7px.

FEMA has provided over $1.2 billion in housing assistance to more than 172,000 Texas individuals or households since Harvey. Homeowners who need additional assistance can apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a low-interest disaster loan. Those loans account for the majority of federal disaster assistance.

FEMA and the state of Texas also have distributed over $404 million to more than 308,000 survivors for disaster-related injuries, hardships and adverse conditions.

FEMA may provide up to two months of initial rental assistance to eligible survivors displaced from their primary residence. If survivors have a continued need, they may request additional rental assistance by calling FEMA’s Helpline at 800-621-3362.

Find out more at https://go.usa.gov/xUarE.

Get long-term, one-on-one help: Call 211 Disaster case managers (DCMs) provide a single contact person who can guide survivors through the recovery process, advocate on their behalf and help secure resources. FEMA grants are funding more than 600 DCMs through the State of Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the nonprofit coalition National Voluntary Organizations Active In Disaster. DCMs will be available through Aug. 24, 2019. Connect with a case manager by calling 211. You do not need to be registered with FEMA to work with a case manager. Learn more at https://go.usa.gov/xUaCs.

Flood aid recipients: Get insurance to stay eligible for repeat assistanceIf your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and your property is in a high-risk zone known as a special flood hazard area (SFHA), you are required by law to purchase and maintain flood insurance if you have received federal disaster assistance for flood damage. Otherwise, when disaster strikes again, you will be ineligible for federal assistance for flood damage to your home or its contents.

Homeowners in SFHAs who receive disaster assistance must maintain flood insurance for as long as the property address exists. If the home is sold, the insurance requirement is passed to the new owner; therefore buyers should thoroughly research the history of their property before closing.

Renters in SFHAs who receive federal disaster assistance for flood-damaged personal property also must maintain flood insurance on the contents of their home for as long as they live at that location. The insurance requirement, however, ends once the aid recipient moves away. More information is available at https://go.usa.gov/xUarS.

FEMA awards $51 million for Harris County property acquisitionFEMA awarded more than $51 million to the Harris County Flood Control District to acquire 294 flood-prone homes damaged by Harvey. Once the structures are removed, the land will be maintained as open space. Previously, the Harris County Flood Control District received more than $25 million for 169 homes. Both awards are part of a project to buy and remove 985 flood-prone Harris County properties. The project is part of FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program,

which requires a 25 percent non-federal match. The estimated cost of the project is $217 million, with FEMA providing $163 million. View additional details at https://go.usa.gov/xUxDt.

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