11:14 AM Wed, Sep 17, 2008 | Permalink
Aaron Chimbel
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Residents of southeast Texas may be in need of emergency shelter, food, water and medical care. They may also need assistance repairing damaged homes and other property. The following resources are available to help hurricane victims.
Special Needs Evacuation: City of Houston: 311, Harris County: 713-837-0311
Harris County Emergency Management hotline: 713-368-2741
Emergency shelters:
The American Red Cross: 1-866-GET-INFO
The Salvation Army: 713-752-0677
Harris County points of distribution (PODs)
Food is available at every location. Some may also have water and ice.
· Ripley House 4410 Navigation
· Greater Jerusalem 8901 Jensen
· City Courthouse 14350 Wallisville
· Windsor Village UMC 6000 Heatherbrook
· Zion Lutheran 3606 Beauchamp
· San Jacinto 604 Highlands Woods
· Baker Junior High, 9700 Spencer Highway, La Porte
· Baytown Courthouse Annex, 701 West Baker, Baytown
· Raul C. Martinez Annex, 1001 S. Sgt. Macario Garcia
· Football Stadium, Center@San Augustine, Deer Park
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can help in a variety of ways.
To register for disaster assistance, call 1-800-621-3362 or TTD 1-800-462-7585
Housing assistance: To be eligible you must (1) have someone in the house who is U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien (meaning, someone, but not necessarily everyone, in the house must be a legal resident); (2) you usually live in the damaged house and were living there at the time of the disaster; (3) you are not able to live in your home now, you cannot get to your home due to the disaster, or your home requires repairs because of damage from the disaster. Second homes are not covered, and if you evacuate as a precaution and can return immediately there is no FEMA coverage. FEMA will cover repairs that are not covered by insurance that are necessary to meet the FEMA standard of "safe", "sanitary", or "functional." Minor or superficial damage is likely not to be covered, repairs needed to make the house livable, or shelter costs for people not able to return due to damage to house or area, are likely to be covered.
Non-Housing Assistance: This includes "necessary expenses and serious needs," which primarily covers: (1) medical/dental expenses due to disaster, (2) disaster related funeral/burial costs, (3) Clothing; household items (room furnishings, appliances); tools required for your job; necessary educational materials (computers, school books, supplies) that were damaged in the disaster (or needed if you are evacuated long-term; (4) Clean-up items (wet/dry vacuum, dehumidifier); (5) Disaster-damaged vehicle (if insured, a claim must be filed before you seek FEMA assistance); (6) Moving and storage expenses related to the disaster (moving and storing property to avoid additional disaster damage while disaster-related repairs are being made to the home); and (7) other serious needs.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA): This program provides unemployment benefits and re-employment services to individuals who have become unemployed because of major disasters. These benefits are made available to individuals not covered by other unemployment compensation programs, such as self-employed, farmers, migrant and seasonal workers, and those who have insufficient quarters to qualify for other unemployment compensation. All unemployed individuals must register with the State's employment services office before they can receive DUA benefits.
Legal Services Assistance: Volunteer lawyers typically provide services including: (1) Assistance with insurance claims (life, medical, property, etc.); (2) Counseling on landlord/tenant problems; (3) Assisting in consumer protection matters, remedies, and procedures; (4) Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in a major disaster.
Access to health care:
Harris County Hospital District's Ask Your Nurse Program: 713-633-2255 (24 hours a day)
For help with utilities:
• CenterPoint Energy (electricity): 713-207-2222
• CenterPoint Energy (gas): 713-659-2111
• Direct Energy (business): 877-877-3268; (residential) 888-305-3828
• TXU Energy (business): 888-399-5501; (residential) 800-242-9113
For help with transportation:
• Metropolitan Transit Authority: 713-635-4000
• Texas Department of Transportation (road condition information): 1-800-452-9292
• Houston Airport System: 281-233-3000
I work for Woodbend Builders, one of our projects,
Woodbend Village on Silber Rd.,77055 lost the entire side of the fence that protected the property. One of the people who owns a home at Woodbend Village, called and said she talked to a gentleman who came out to the property yesterday, and said he was with Harris County Hurricane Assistance Program.
Is it possible to obtain disaster assistance to replace the fence?