Montgomery County citizens may now apply for federal disaster assistance

THE WOODLANDS - The Woodlands Township has been informed that the federal disaster declaration for Texas has been expanded to provide individual assistance to six additional counties as a result of the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding that occurred between May 4 and June 19, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In addition, FEMA has approved an extension of the deadline to register for assistance in the 42 counties designated for individual assistance. The new deadline is August 27, 2015.

The six Texas counties newly designated for individual assistance are: Angelina, Erath, Frio, Jim Wells, Montgomery and Trinity.

They join 36 counties already designated for Individual Assistance: Bastrop, Blanco, Bowie, Brazoria, Caldwell, Cherokee, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Fannin, Fayette, Fort Bend, Gaines, Grayson, Guadalupe, Harris, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Johnson, Liberty, Milam, Montague, Navarro, Nueces, Rusk, Smith, Travis, Walker, Wichita, Williamson, Wise and Van Zandt. Residents in the now 42 designated counties are eligible to apply for state and federal assistance.

Disaster assistance for homeowners and renters may include grants to help pay for rent, temporary housing and home repairs, as well as other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs.

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available for eligible survivors. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits from other agencies or organizations.

Residents and business owners should apply right away with SBA as part of the overall federal disaster recovery process, and not wait for insurance claims to settle.

Texans who had storm damage should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may be eligible for help after their insurance claims have been settled.

People can apply for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 toll free from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) daily until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY should call 800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has a call center to answer Texas policyholders’ flood insurance questions. Specialists can help with servicing claims, providing general information and offering technical assistance to aid in recovery. To speak with a flood insurance specialist, call 800-621-3362 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

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