Update: Rebuilding Texas After Hurricane Harvey

“The $90 billion disaster relief funding legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President marks another crucial step forward as Texans continue to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey…”

“The $90 billion disaster relief funding legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President marks another crucial step forward as Texans continue to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and I thank the Texas delegation and leaders in Congress for taking action to pass this critical recovery package. While Texans will continue to struggle in Harvey’s wake long after this vote, our resilient spirit remains strong, and we will continue working at the federal, state and local levels to ensure we emerge from this disaster stronger than ever.”

— Governor Greg Abbott

Governor’s Commission to Rebuild Texas

• Governor Abbott joined local leaders in Rockport and Houston to announce $1 billion of new hazard mitigation funding from FEMA to help Texas rebuild and reduce the risk of future flooding and hurricane damage. These funds are in addition to the previously announced $5 billion in Community Development Block Grants from HUD and the disaster relief funding recently passed by Congress. The new hazard mitigation funding will be administered by the Texas Division of Emergency Management; cities and counties can submit applications for projects.

• Governor Abbott visited a Habitat for Humanity build site in Rockport where he joined officials from CITGO to announce a donation to Aransas County Habitat for Humanity for the building of 22 homes in the Rockport area. CITGO is also engaging in Harvey recovery efforts with community programs in Corpus Christi, Lake Charles and Houston. The Governor then joined volunteers from Foy H. Moody High School to help remove debris from the build site.

• More than $625 million in Public Assistance funding from FEMA for state and local governments has been obligated, and 1,157 Requests for Public Assistance have been received from jurisdictions, as of Feb. 14.

• Texas A&M’s Texas Rural Leadership Program hosted a workshop on Feb. 10 in Victoria, focused on helping communities affected by Hurricane Harvey. Participants heard from experts on long-term recovery, interacted with and learned from peers dealing with long-term recovery issues, and learned about and connected to technical assistance resources.

• The U.S. Economic Development Association, in partnership with the International Economic Development Council, is working with the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service to provide assistance to communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey through a network of volunteers with experience and expertise in economic development. Communities can apply for assistance.

• The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service and the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) officially completed their vegetative debris mitigation mission in Aransas County on Feb. 14. The teams have burned an estimated 72,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris in Aransas County. TFS and TxDOT also managed trench burning operations in Refugio County, burning an estimated 10,300 cubic yards of vegetative debris.

• FEMA estimates over 11.9 million cubic yards of debris have been collected, about 75 percent of the anticipated total.

Individual Assistance

• More than $13 billion in federal funds have been provided directly to Texans, including FEMA grants to households, National Flood Insurance Program claims payments and SBA disaster loans, as of Feb. 14.

• 262,518 visits to Disaster Recovery Centers for assistance reported as of Feb. 14; for current locations and mobile units visit fema.gov/DRC or download the FEMA app fema.gov/mobile-app.

• FEMA has completed 601,330 inspections, as of Feb. 14.

• A determination letter from FEMA indicating ineligibility can be appealed within 60 days of the date of the letter. For more information: Fact Sheet: Questions about Your Determination Letter.

• 8,701 households are taking advantage of FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance, as of Feb. 14.

• FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) eligibility review is Feb. 20. Some Harvey survivors have already received an auto-dial call notifying them they are no longer eligible for the temporary program. Survivors who are ineligible will need to prepare for a Feb. 21 checkout date. Guests unsure of their continued TSA eligibility and check-out date can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or VRS) or 800-462-7585 (TTY); log into their account on DisasterAssistance.gov; visit a Disaster Recover Center; or ask the front desk clerk to look in the CLC Lodging web portal.

• The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received an $11.1 million FEMA grant for the Texans Recovering Together program, which provides free, confidential crisis counseling and referral services for survivors of Hurricane Harvey, now expanded to 31 counties.

• FEMA’s Disaster Distress Helpline offers trained professionals who can help callers cope with anxiety or stress, and guide them to available resources. This toll-free, multilingual and confidential crisis support service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 800-985-5990, 800-846-8517 (TTY) or text TalkWithUs (Spanish-speakers text: Hablanos) to 66746.

Housing  

• Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush traveled to Brazoria County this week. At the Alvin/Manvel Chamber Breakfast, Commissioner Bush met with first responders and presented challenge coins. He then visited a Manvel homeowner whose residence was damaged by Hurricane Harvey and is currently receiving repairs through the Partial Repair and Essential Power for Sheltering (PREPS) program. Cmr. Bush also attended the Clear Creek Watershed Steering Committee meeting, along with Sen. Larry Taylor, Rep. Ed Thompson, Rep. Dennis Paul and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SW District Col. Lars Zetterstrom, and provided updates on the state’s recovery efforts. A highlight of the trip was visiting with volunteers at New Hope Church in Alvin.

• The GLO is proud to report that repairs have been completed on 3,500 homes through the PREPS program and more than 10,300 homes are in the process of receiving repairs. The GLO has conducted multiple outreach attempts to all applicants FEMA has deemed potentially eligible for this program and is now focusing on completing repairs so families can return home.

• Additionally, there are over 170 homeowners who are receiving or have received repairs through the Direct Assistance for Limited Home Repair (DALHR) program.

• And 1,890 families have been housed through the Direct Housing Program, receiving temporary housing units such as a manufactured housing unit, a travel trailer or Direct Lease, as of Feb. 14; additional housing units are being prepped for occupancy.

• To access the most up-to-date FEMA dashboards for Hurricane Harvey impacted counties, visit http://www.glo.texas.gov/recovery/files/41-counties-jan-12.pdf

• The Texas Department of Insurance’s Help After Harvey page explains consumer options to challenge an insurer’s estimate of damages or a claims denial. TDI can help with insurance questions and complaints through the Consumer Help Line at 800-252-3439, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. to Fri.

• Flood insurance must be maintained to qualify for federal assistance in the future. NFIP policyholders with questions may call 800-621-3362, Mon. to Sat., 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For information, visit www.FloodSmart.gov.

• The Federal Housing Administration offers mortgage relief options to Hurricane Harvey survivors in Texas at 800-CALL-FHA.

• TexasRebuilds.com is the housing information source for individuals and communities.

• For pictures of move-in days and updates on the housing recovery progress, follow Twitter.com/TXGLO.

Jobs

• Disaster-related job openings are available on HurricaneHarvey.jobs and WorkInTexas.com.

Texans Helping Texans

Know of any organizations sponsoring Spring Break service projects in Harvey-impacted communities? DM those stories and photos to us on Twitter (@GovAbbott) or Facebook (@Texas Governor).