RG018 - March 2018 Texas Hurricane Harvey Recovery Guide

Safe Room and Home Elevation Help Texans During HarveySafe From the StormIn Victoria, nearly 400 evacuees with nowhere else to go sheltered inside a 168-foot-wide steel-reinforced safe room the day Harvey barreled into Texas. The room was constructed in 2015 for extreme weather events and meets occupancy requirements for hurricanes and tornadoes. The room’s 20,000 square feet of protected space gives it capacity to shelter 1,000 occupants during a hurricane and 4,000 for a tornado. Learn more about the Victoria safe room at https://go.usa.gov/xQr9S.

Elevation Works

After eight times, Claire Rhoads was tired of seeing her home in Dickinson flood. Following Hurricane Ike in 2008, her home qualified as a repetitive loss structure because of its flood history and because her flood insurance contract contained increased cost of compliance. Claire used funds from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance program to elevate her home. Learn more about Claire and her story at https://go.usa.gov/xQr9J.

Looking for mitigation information and resources for recovering from a disaster in Texas? Visit https://go.usa.gov/xQrX3.

Prepare for Hurricane Season Now: Learn How to Make a Disaster Emergency KitAs we enter into the spring flooding and tornado seasons, and with hurricane season around the corner, now is the time to start preparing for disasters. We’ve got two resources to help you get your plans and your supplies together:• First, watch a Facebook Live video to learn how to build your own

disaster emergency kit. Go to the FEMA Harvey Facebook videopage at facebook.com/FEMAHarvey/videos/ and click on the “Howto Pack an Emergency Kit” video posted March 28. You’ll see ademonstration of items to consider for your personal supply list.You’ll also learn why an emergency kit is so important as you prepareyourself, your family and your pets for a disaster.

• Then, use this Basic Emergency Supply Kit as checklist to help yougather your supplies.

Visit ready.gov for more information about disaster mitigation and preparedness for you and your family.

Basic Emergency Supply Kit:Water - one gallon of water per

person for at least three days for drinking and sanitation.

Prescription Medications and First Aid Kit

Food - at least a three-day supplyof nonperishable food. Remember the pet food as well.

Radio - battery-powered or handcrank radio and extra batteries.

Flashlight - don’t forget theextra batteries.

Plastic Sheeting/Duct Tape - to shelter-in-place.

Dust Mask - to help filtercontaminated air.

Moist Towelettes, GarbageBags and Plastic Ties - for

personal sanitation.

Wrench/Pliers - to turn offutilities.

Can Opener - for canned food,if kit contains this.

Cash or Traveler’s Checks Local Maps and Whistle

- at least aweek’s worth of medication.

Keep InformedFor more information on Hurricane Harvey

and Texas recovery, visit: www.fema.gov/hurricane-harvey

or the Texas Division of Emergency Management at: www.dps.texas.gov/dem/

Stay in TouchFor updates on your application status or appeals, visit:

DisasterAssistance.gov (800) 621-3362 (711 or VRS) OR (800) 462-7585 (TTY)

To find the nearest Disaster Recovery Center, visit: www.fema.gov/drc

RG018 - March 2018

Flood Insurance Is Your Best Defense Against Weather EventsDid you know floods are the most common and costly natural disasters in the U.S.? Texas is no stranger to these events: Since 1996, more than 200,000 flood insurance claims have been paid to Texas policyholders.

As hurricane season approaches, now is the time to buy flood insurance, because everyone lives in a potential flood zone. Homeowners who purchase flood insurance enter the National Flood Insurance Program, which insures properties and encourages communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations.Even if mortgage regulations don’t require you to purchase flood insurance, you should consider it for additional protection. A few hundred dollars paid on a policy can save thousands lost to a flood.

The insurance agent who helps you with your homeowners or renters insurance may be able to help you with flood insurance too. You can only purchase flood insurance through an insurance agent — you cannot buy it directly from NFIP — but if your insurance agent does not sell flood insurance, you can contact the NFIP Help Center at 800-427-4661 for an agent referral.

There is typically a 30-day wait period before your newly purchased flood insurance goes into effect.

Get Mitigation Tips at Home Improvement StoresHome improvement stores and FEMA mitigation specialists are teaming up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homesstronger and safer. Everyone is welcome including hurricane survivors who are repairing, building or rebuilding homes after Harvey.

The specialists will answer questions and offer tips and techniques to build hazard-resistant homes using proven methods to prevent or reduce damage from future disasters. You can also pick up free publications geared to do-it-yourself work and general contractors.

To find store locations and dates when specialists will be available, visit facebook.com/FEMAHarvey/.

What is Disability Integration?FEMA’s Disability Integration Advisors help survivors with disabilities or access or functional needs after a disaster. If you or someone you know is an adult survivor who needs help from a Disability Integration Advisor, call FEMA’s Helpline at 800-621-3362.

Local independent living centers also may be able to help. Call the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Aging and Disability Resource Center at 855-937-2372 or visit https://go.usa.gov/xQrnF.

You can also call the federal Disaster Distress Help Line at 800-985-5990, or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746 to reach a counselor. Learn more at https://go.usa.gov/xQrnJ.

Clip and Save Important ContactsFEDERAL AGENCIES:FEMA Helpline (800) 621-3362 (711 or VRS) or (800) 462-7585 (TTY)FEMA Fraud Hotline (800) 323-9603U.S. Small Business Administration (800) 659-2955 or (800) 877-8339 (TTY)National Flood Insurance Program (800) 427-4661 or (800) 427-5593 (TTY)Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-1040 or (800) 829-4059 (TTY)Social Security Administration (800) 772-1213Department of Veterans Affairs (800) 827-1000FEMA Disaster Recovery Center Locator: www.fema.gov/drc

STATE AGENCIES:Texas AG Consumer Protection Help Line (800) 621-0508

Texas Windstorm Insurance Assoc. & Texas FAIR Plan (877) 281-1431 or Spanish: (866) 443-3144

Texas Dept. of Insurance Consumer Help Line (800) 252-3439

Shelter, food and disaster services 2-1-1

Education Hotline for Houston, Beaumont and Victoria areas (512) 463-9603

Alert Houston Emergency Updates 3-1-1 or (713) 884-3131

Gov Greg Abbott Information Hotline (800) 843-5789

facebook.com/FEMAHarvey @FEMARegion6 www.fema.gov/hurricane-harvey