AUSTIN, Texas – Survivors in Hidalgo, Cameron or Jim Wells County that were impacted by the recent severe storms and flooding and were receiving rental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) prior to the disaster, may be eligible for disaster assistance from FEMA.  When a HUD-assisted resident's home becomes unlivable, HUD stops paying rental assistance for that residence. The survivor may then apply for FEMA disaster assistance.  Eligible survivors include those who were:Living in HUD-assisted public housing.Living in a privately owned apartment that provides rental assistance...

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas residents who suffered damage or losses in the severe storms and subsequent flooding that occurred from June 19 through July 13, 2018 should know that their eligibility for disaster assistance will be based on their individual circumstances and needs. The amount and type of housing assistance an individual receives could be completely different from his or her neighbors, even though the damage appears to be similar. For example, one homeowner might have more extensive insurance coverage than the homeowner next door, which could equal more or less aid...

AUSTIN, Texas – While FEMA does not provide direct assistance to businesses or commercial farms, under the agency’s Individuals and Households Program, people (including farmers) whose homes were damaged or destroyed or who qualify for other-needs assistance can seek help from FEMA. Disaster assistance is available through other federal agencies to businesses and farms that have suffered damage to business property or economic losses as a direct result of a presidentially declared disaster. Economic-injury loans are available to businesses located in Cameron, Hidalgo and Jim Wells counties and in all contiguous counties. Low-interest...

The term “substantial damage” applies to a structure in a Special Flood Hazard Area – or floodplain – for which the total cost of repairs is 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value before the disaster occurred, regardless of the cause of damage. This percentage rule can vary among jurisdictions. The decision about a structure being substantially damaged is made at the local-government level, generally by a building-department official or floodplain manager. For communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), substantial damage determinations generally are required by local...

AUSTIN, Texas – A recent case of attempted fraud in Texas underscores how disaster survivors can be victimized by fraudsters.A Texas family received a bogus “notice” sporting the FEMA logo, assuring the family that it qualified for large sums of assistance. All they needed to do was to put a few thousand dollars in cash into an envelope and leave it in their mailbox. FEMA would come around and pick it up. Then the family would get a fat payoff in assistance. The notice was a total scam.The family was also...