FEMA Assistance Available for Texans Affected by Hurricane Beryl
Greetings Faith and Community Partners,
On July 9, 2024, President Biden approved major disaster declaration DR-4798-TX for Hurricane Beryl to support Texas residents and their families living in Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Walker and Wharton counties. Residents with a primary home in these communities impacted by Hurricane Beryl, may be eligible for disaster assistance even if they have already received FEMA assistance for the severe storms that occurred in April 2024.
Serious Needs Assistance, is available to eligible applicants as a one-time $750 payment per household for essential items like food, water, baby formula, breast feeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies, while Displacement Assistance, may provide help with housing needs if you cannot return to your home because of the disaster.
In addition to Serious Needs and Displacement Assistance, eligible survivors may receive money for rental assistance, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other eligible expenses related to Hurricane Beryl, but the first step to recovery is to apply.
There are four easy ways to apply:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov,
- On the FEMA App for mobile devices,
- Visiting any Disaster Recovery Center (for locations and hours, go online to fema.gov/drc), or
- Calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. Calls are accepted every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT.
In addition to FEMA resources, the U.S. Small Business Administration will provide one-on-one assistance to disaster loan applicants at local Disaster Recovery Centers. Additional information and details on the location of disaster recovery centers is available by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955.
Through volunteer organizations, some residents may receive free debris cleaning services with the help from Crisis Cleanup by calling 979-217-3791. The hotline is open through July 19 and can connect people with volunteers from local relief organizations, community groups and the faith-based community who may be able to assist.
Free crisis counseling services are also available for survivors in the affected areas. These services are available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 985-5990 or by visiting SAMHSA.gov (en Español)
If you or someone you know is interested, FEMA is hiring in Texas! FEMA is seeking people with experience in environmental protection, engineering, communications, geospatial information systems, hazardous materials, planning and other occupations. How to apply: USAJobs.gov has a detailed description of open positions at Local Hires-TX
Please feel free to reach out with questions or additional information to Partnerships@fema.dhs.gov and share these resources broadly with your networks.
Thank you for your continued partnership in helping people before, during, and after disasters!
Sincere regards,
Nicole
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Nicole C. Wood, MPH, MA
Acting Director | DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
