Contact: PIO Media Line: (512) 974-0599
Travis County residents and business owners, including those in the Austin city limits, who had storm or flood damage between Oct. 22, 2015 and Oct. 31, 2015 are eligible for federal assistance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The City of Austin and Travis County continue to coordinate with the local, state and federal officials to provide recovery services. The City is consolidating information as it becomes available and updating the information at austintexas.gov/help. The County is consolidating information as it becomes available and updating the information at traviscountytx.gov/flood.
People who had storm damage in eligible counties can register for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and for other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral costs. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also may be available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
Federal funding is available to affected individuals in Bastrop, Brazoria, Caldwell, Comal, Galveston, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Hidalgo, Liberty, Navarro, Travis, Willacy, and Wilson counties. Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
Eligible residents should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.
Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if the person has registered with another disaster-relief organization such as the American Red Cross, or local community or church organization. Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, and phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.
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