Bexar County homeowners and residents in 77 other designated counties that were affected by this week’s devastating winter storm can now apply for federal assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This comes after President Joe Biden partially approved Governor Abbott’s request for a major disaster declaration. The approval was announced Saturday afternoon.
Recommended Videos
RELATED: President Biden partially approves Gov. Abbott’s request for major disaster declaration
According to officials, If you have insurance and are applying for disaster assistance, you must also file a claim with your insurance company as soon as possible.
By law, FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If insurance does not cover all of your damages, you may be eligible to receive federal assistance.
The 77 counties that are eligible for assistance include:
Angelina, Aransas, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Collin, Comal, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, DeWitt, Ellis, Falls, Fort Bend, Galveston, Gillespie, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hood, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Kendall, Lavaca, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Maverick, McLennan, Montague, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Nueces, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Polk, Rockwall, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Scurry, Shelby, Smith, Stephens, Tarrant, Travis, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wharton, Wichita, Williamson, Wilson, and Wise.
When you apply for assistance, make sure you have the following information readily available:
- A current phone number where you can be contacted
- Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying
- Your Social Security number, if available
- A general list of damage and losses
- If insured, the insurance policy number, or the agent and company name
If it is safe to do so, officials say that they recommend starting to clean up and take photos to document damages and begin repairs to prevent further damage.
Officials say to also keep receipts from all purchases related to the cleanup and repair.
For more information, contact the SBA at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 800-877-8339) or visit www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.