KERR COUNTY, Texas – The Federal Emergency Management Agency outlined how Kerr County residents and non-residents can apply for assistance from the Fourth of July weekend’s severe flooding.
The agency also announced on Wednesday that it has established a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at First Baptist Church in Kerrville (625 Washington Street). Beginning Thursday, the center will be open between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.
FEMA said non-Kerr County residents who are eligible for assistance include those “who sustained damage” or were “out-of-state survivors who may have been visiting or staying in Kerr County at the time of the disaster.”
The agency said it can provide temporary housing, home repair, property loss and help with other disaster-related needs. Assistance for other needs include the following:
- Medical and dental (also available to non-residents): These funds can be used to help cover expenses such as injuries or illnesses caused by the Hill Country floods. This funding can also be used to replace medical/dental equipment, breastfeeding equipment or prescribed medicine that been lost or damaged.
- Transportation (also available to non-residents): These funds can go to repairs or replace a flood-damaged vehicle if/when an applicant does not have access to another vehicle.
- Funeral Expenses (also available to non-residents): These funds would go toward flood-related funeral expenses, including: the cost of transferring remains, cost of a casket or urn; “funeral services, death certificates, burial plot, cremation, interment, cost of reinterment if disinterment is caused by the disaster, and/or occurs in a family cemetery on private property,” a FEMA news release stated on Wednesday.
- Displacement: These funds can go to housing needs if flood survivors cannot return to their homes.
- Serious Needs Assistance: These funds would go toward essential items such as food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medicine and other serious disaster-related needs, according to FEMA. The agency said the funds will not be considered a reimbursement for electricity loss or for replacing food; it is solely intended for emergency needs.
- Childcare: These funds would go to childcare expenses or an increase in childcare expenses following the floods.
- Personal property (also available to non-residents): The funds would go toward repairing or replacing appliances, room furnishings, clothing and essential tools such as a personal or family computer damaged in the floods, FEMA said.
- Miscellaneous items: These funds would go toward helping pay for specific items that were purchased or rented after the Hill Country floods. For example, the agency said a chainsaw to help clear fallen trees that prevent safe access to your home would fall under “miscellaneous items” that FEMA would reimburse.
- Moving and storage: These funds can be used for “moving and storing personal property” from survivors’ property to prevent additional flood damage. This can include while flood survivors make repairs to their homes or while moving to a new place due to the floods.
Homeowners and renters need to apply for ‘Individual Assistance’ under the major disaster declaration DR-4879-TX in one of the following ways:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
- On the FEMA App for mobile devices
- The FEMA helpline, 800-621-3362, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., central time
Have this information readily available when applying:
- If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or company name
- Current phone number
- Social Security number
- A general list of damages and losses
- Banking information for direct deposit
FEMA recommends that receipts from purchases related to cleanup and repair must be kept.
The agency said non-Kerr County residents will need to include the address or damage location in Kerr County on their application. However, their mailing address can be their current home address.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loans are also available for businesses, nonprofits, homeowners and renters.
FEMA said people with homeowners, renters or flood insurance should file a claim first.
By law, FEMA can not duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your damage expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance, the agency said.
More related coverage of the Hill Country floods on KSAT:
