Local Resources

1. Residents who suffered damage from the recent storm and need assistance can call the Southeast Texas Severe Storms Home Cleanup hotline at 832-509-2977 through Friday, May 31.
2. Residents who need to find a Cooling Center or a place to charge, both the City of Houston and Harris County have set up centers at locations across our community.  For City of Houston centers, click here.  For Harris County centers, click here.
3. If you use durable medical equipment, like oxygen machines, that rely on power, please call my team at 713-353-8680 to see if we can help.
4. If you or someone you know is without shelter and in need of transportation, call 3-1-1.
5. To report power outages or set up power alerts, click here.
6. To report damage to your home, neighborhood, or business to the City of Houston, call 3-1-1 or file a report on the Houston 311 Mobile App.
7. The Texas Department of Insurance is warning people of potential contracting scams as they begin making repairs, and have set up a helpline to prevent contractor scams.  Please call 1-800-252-3439 if you need assistance.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Resources

Harris County residents can now apply for individual assistance from FEMA.  You can do so one of three ways:

• Visit DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA smartphone application at www.fema.gov
• Call 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) or 1-800-621-3362 for Video Relay Service; or
• Visit a Disaster Recovery Center in person.  There are four locations for the time being that are open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Fondé Community Center at 110 Sabine St.; 
  • Leon Z. Grayson Community Center at 13828 Corpus Christi St.;
  • Spring Branch Family Development Center at 8575 Pitner Rd.;
  • Thomas A. Glazier Senior Education Center at 16600 Pine Forest Ln.; and
  • Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center at 6402 Market St.
  • Acres Homes Multi-Service Center at 6719 W. Montgomery Rd.

FEMA’S Individuals and Households Programs (IHP) provide financial and direct services to eligible individuals and households affected by a disaster, who have uninsured or under-insured necessary expenses and serious needs.  IHP assistance is not a substitute for insurance and is intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.  Assistance may include:

• Funds for temporary housing while you are unable to live in your home, such as rental assistance or reimbursement for hotel costs;
• Funds to support the repair or replacement of owner-occupied homes
• Funds for hazard mitigation assistance to help eligible homeowners repair or rebuild stronger, more durable homes; and
• Funds for other uninsured or under-insured disaster-caused expenses and serious needs.

FEMA grants can help pay for temporary housing. Renters may also qualify for financial help to replace essential personal property, medical and dental, transportation, childcare, moving and storage and other uninsured expenses.

FEMA’S Disaster Legal Services (DLS) provides legal aid to low-income individuals and is limited to cases that would not normally incur legal fees.  Typically, the types of legal assistance offered include help with insurance claims (e.g. health, property, or life), recovery or reproduction of legal documents lost in the disaster, help with home repairs and disputes with contractors and/or landlords, the preparation of powers of attorney and guardianship materials, and FEMA appeals.  Learn more about DLS here.

FEMA is also implementing streamlined application requirements to apply for assistance through the Small Business Administration (SBA) and FEMA at the same time.  SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to homeowners and renters in a declared major disaster area.  You don't need to own a business to apply for SBA assistance.  To apply for this assistance, click here.

Understanding Your FEMA Determination Letter

If you applied for assistance from FEMA, you will receive a letter from FEMA in the mail or via email.  The letter will explain your application status and how to respond.  If you received a denial, you may just need to provide types of documents or information that FEMA needs.  Examples of missing documentation include:

• Proof of insurance coverage
• Settlement of insurance claims or denial letter from insurance provider
• Proof of identity
• Proof of occupancy
• Proof of ownership
• Proof that the damaged property was the applicant’s primary residence at the time of the disaster

Your letter will also an optional appeal form that you can use. Your appeal must be submitted within 60 days of the date of your decision letter.  You can submit your appeal and supporting documentation:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov, where you can create an account and upload documents.
• In-person at a Disaster Recovery Center
• By mail
  FEMA Individuals & Households Program
  National Processing Service Center
  P. O. Box 10055 Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
• By fax
  (800) 827-8112
  Attention: FEMA - Individuals & Households Program

If you have questions about your letter, or disagree with the initial decision, visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the disaster assistance helpline at 800-621-3362.

FEMA Applications are Separate from Other Claims or Reports
If your home sustained disaster damage, you may have reported information to your insurance company and to the State of Texas via damage.tdem.texas.gov.  You will need to apply separately to FEMA to be considered for serious needs assistance, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other eligible expenses related to storm damage.  Your FEMA application is separate from other claims or reports that you make.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Resources

• Disaster loan applications may be submitted through the MySBA Loan Portal or in person at a Disaster Recovery Center.  Please contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or by phone at 1-800-659-2955 for further assistance.  For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
• Application Filing Deadlines:
  • Physical Damage: July 16, 2024
  • Economic Injury: February 18, 2025
• Small Business Recovery Centers are open for in-person assistance Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The centers in Harris County are located at:
  • University of Houston Downtown (UHD), Marilyn Davies College of Business at 320 North Main St., Room B106, 1st Floor (Parking is underneath the Marilyn Davies College of Business in the Shea St. Building)
  • Trini Mendenhall Community Center at 1414 Wirt Rd.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Resources

• SNAP recipients in Harris County may be eligible for replacement benefits but must apply by June 17.  To apply, recipients can dial 2-1-1 and select Option 2.
• WIC Program recipients can have food and formula benefits replaced through May 31.  Families can visit TexasWIC.org or call 800-942-3678 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and select Option 3 to speak with an operator who will help find an open location.

U.S. Department of Labor Resources

Individuals affected by the severe weather in Harris County can apply for benefits online through Unemployment Benefit Services or by calling the Texas Workforce Commission at (800) 939-6631 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits under this declaration must be submitted by July 16, 2024.

Additional Resources

There are many tools and resources on Ready.gov to help prepare before a disaster or get support after, including:

• Pets and Animals
• Emergency Alerts
• Coping with Disasters
• FEMA Mobile App
• Get Involved

Debris Removal

Harris County debris removal is underway.  Follow storm debris guidelines by separating and placing debris in the appropriate area.

1. Separate vegetative debris, such as tree branches and plants, from construction and demolition debris, as they will be collected separately.
2. Do not bag debris. Only loose debris will be collected.
3. Do not place debris near drainage ditches, storm drains, mailboxes, water meters, fire hydrants, low-lying limbs, or any other above-ground utility such as transformers and power lines.
4. Only debris placed in the appropriate area will be eligible for collection. If all debris is not picked up during the first pass, continue to push remaining debris closer to the curb for collection on future passes.
5. Regular household trash should be disposed of with the regular collection of garbage. Spoiled food items should be thrown out in the regular trash, never mixed with storm or construction debris.

For more information about storm debris pickup, call 3-1-1.

Disaster Recovery Scams

Disasters often bring communities together but con artists, identity thieves, and other criminals may target survivors.  The most common types of post-disaster fraud include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations, fake offers of municipal or federal aid, and charging for free services.

Scam attempts can be made over the phone, by mail or email, through the internet, or in person.  Do not trust anyone who offers financial help and then asks for money or personal information.  The Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff never charge for disaster assistance.

FEMA will be sending Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) crews into disaster-affected neighborhoods, often going door-to-door to help residents apply for assistance.

• DSA crews are currently visiting neighborhoods in Harris County.
• FEMA staff may help Texans apply for federal assistance, identify potential needs, and help make connections with local, state, federal, and voluntary agencies.
• These crews will be easily recognizable by their official photo identification (ID).  If you meet people offering assistance, first ask to see their ID before giving them your personal information.  They may have FEMA clothing, but that can be easily imitated.

After Texans apply for disaster assistance, FEMA may call them to schedule an inspection of the damaged home, or to obtain more information to process the application. These calls may come from unfamiliar area codes or phone numbers. If you receive a call from someone saying they are a FEMA representative, but you aren’t sure, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to verify the caller’s identity.

Contact Information