President Declares 12 Counties Disaster Areas

With a stroke of the pen but without much fanfare, President Barack Obama declared twelve Texas counties major disaster areas Friday making them eligible for FEMA assistance.

According to FEMA, "Federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Texas to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding beginning on May 26, 2016, and continuing.

"The president's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Fort Bend, Grimes, Hidalgo, Hood, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Travis, Waller, and Washington counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster."

If you live and/or own a business and sustained losses in the counties above, applying for assistance has begun online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Among the assistance available:

• Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
• Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)
• Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs. (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)
• Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals. (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)
• Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
• Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster's adverse economic impact. This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)
• Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)

I know a lot of folks are cynical about the effectiveness of federal disaster relief. Many folks are also suspicious of those who take money from the federal government even in times of great tribulation. Thing is, we as Texans do pay a great deal to the feds. If our friends and neighbors are in need, we ought to be gracious in allowing them to seek assistance. It's not easy for anyone's pride to ask someone else for a handout, especially  they're a hard-working entrepreneur with an independent spirit. Yet it's even harder to see something you've worked your whole life at trying to built be washed away in an instant. In the end, we all pay into the system, so let's see our fellow Texans' burdens alleviated even if only slightly.

For more information:
FEMA