Meeting tonight, Weds, June 3, and more information in this long post below.

City and FEMA Ask All Residents Affected by the Flood to Register for Assistance

Mayor Parker and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and various City departments will be on hand to provide flood recovery information and answer questions about everything from filing a flood claim to debris collection and permitting.

Fondren Middle School
7 - 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 3, 2015
6333 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77096

In the coming days, with help from the City of Houston and the Texas Division of Emergency Management, FEMA will be announcing the location of a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC), which will be a one-stop shop for affected residents to connect with FEMA staff, as well as City and Non-Governmental agencies. In addition, mobile recovery centers will be established to help ensure that all affected Houstonians have equal access to the assistance they need.

What you can do now?

1) Contact your insurance company

•If you haven't already done so, contact your insurance company (renters, homeowners and flood) and let them know about your level of damage. They may need to send an adjuster to document your damage.

2) Houston residents affected by the flood can register for assistance by:

•visiting on www.disasterassistance.gov
•on their mobile device at m.fema.gov
•or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) (TTY 1-800-462-7585) (Video Relay Service [VRS] 1-800-621-3362. These numbers will operate from 6am - 9pm Central time until further notice.

If you need assistance in a language other than English, you may call FEMA and a translator will be put on the line to assist you.

When registering for assistance, you can expect to provide the following:

•Social Security number
•Address of the damaged home or apartment
•Description of the damage
•Information about insurance coverage
•A current contact telephone number
•An address where they can get mail
•Proof of residency, such as a utility bill, rent receipts or mortgage payment record
•Bank account and routing numbers if they want direct deposit of any financial assistance.

Once you register, a FEMA representative will call you to schedule a time for them to do a formal assessment of your damage. Make sure you provide a reliable, working telephone number when you register, as well as have all of your damage documentation available when FEMA representatives make their assessment.

3)Document your damage

•Make sure you have photos, and or video, of the damage your home or business sustained so that FEMA representatives will be able to provide you with the best financial assistance possible.

Individuals with Undocumented Immigrant Status

FEMA assistance is only available to U.S. Citizens or lawful residents of the United States. Individuals who are undocumented may make a claim on behalf of their child if that child is a U.S. Citizen or lawful resident.

If nobody in the family qualifies, residents are asked to call 2-1-1 to find out information about non-profit agencies who may be able to provide assistance.

What Can I Expect In the Coming Days?

In the coming days, FEMA will be announcing the location of the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) as well as the dates, times and locations of town hall meetings to discuss any issues people may have with the FEMA recovery process.

Where can I get information?

Houston residents can visit houstontx.gov/recovery for information and resources that will help them begin the process of recovery. This website will have information from government as well as trusted non-profit partners.

Residents can also register for CitizensNet at houstontx.gov/citizensnet to receive information about disaster assistance available in their neighborhoods.

Keeping Yourself Safe

FEMA, State or City officials will never ask you for your social security number or bank account information in person or by phone (unless you have called FEMA to register for assistance). Never give out personal information to anyone who claims to represent the City, State or FEMA in person, over email, or over the phone.

Also, all FEMA and City disaster services are provided free of charge, so you should never be asked to pay anything to complete applications or receive assistance from the government.

Houston Flood 2015 Resources:

Public:
First stop – Report the issue:
• 911- If there is a crime happening on your property, call this number first!
• 411 – general information
• 311 – city services (potholes, utilities, sidewalks, traffic lights, AND ALL DAMAGES, etc.) Download the Houston 311 app for ease of use. The city uses this information for funding and servicing purposes. (713-837-0311)
• 211 – database of social services; works with United way (211texas.org; 713-957-4357)
• Non-Emergency HPD - NON-EMERGENCY HPD 7138843131
• Crisis Hotline: 713-468-5463
• Register with FEMA at 800-621-3362 or online at www.disasterassistance.com; it doesn’t matter of qualifications, all must register for funding purposes.

Temporary Housing Information and Resource:
• City of Houston Housing and Neighborhoods Department, 832-394-6282
• Red Cross - 877-500-8645

Volunteer:
The city did select a portal that all approved volunteers in the area are able to share locations where needs need to be met and where volunteers are not yet on the ground. The city uses this information to make sure they have the support in place for a disaster as it unravels from volunteer efforts.

If you want to volunteer, please go to one of these already approved volunteer agencies:
o Volunteerhouston.org
o Nechama.org
o TACCOR - cgreenslate@txcumc.org

Other Resources:
For contractors and other information, most organizations cannot be liable for recommendations. The BBB or Angie’s List will be a great resource to find credible information.