HURRICANE RECOVERY INFORMATION

FEMA Assistance 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can provide assistance to eligible personsin Trinity County who had damage to their homes, who were displaced from their homesbecause of the storm, or who suffered other damages due to the storm.

A FEMA Mobile Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is not open in Trinity County at this time. However, you can register with FEMA online or by telephone prior to the DRC arrival, it will speed up the process for you. To register by telephone, call 1-800-621-3362 or go online at www.fema.gov/. When you register, you will be given a FEMA account number. Be sure to take that account number with you when you visit the FEMA DRC. Other items you will need include your social security number, current mailing address, address of damaged property, information about any insurance policies on damaged property, and information about your household income.

Following is the news release from the White House with more information on FEMA assistance:

Statement on Federal Disaster Assistance for Texas

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Texas and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by Hurricane Ike beginning on September 7, 2008, and continuing. The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Cherokee, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, and  Washington Counties.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Federal funding also is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis in Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Cherokee, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, and Washington Counties for debris removal, including direct Federal assistance.

R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Sandy Coachman as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area. FEMA said that damage surveys have been scheduled and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed in the affected areas.

FEMA said that those who sustained losses in the counties designated for aid to affected individuals and business owners can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at http://www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,until further notice.

  

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 Fraud & Price Gouging-Price gouging refers to the practice of charging excessively high prices for goods or services
 
 Call your insurance adjuster to get an estimate. 

 Get more than one estimate; don’t be pushed into signing a contract right away.

 Check the contractor out with the Better Business Bureau

 Get references from past customers and check them out.

 Never pay 100% up front. 

 Get everything in writing, including guarantees.

 A notice of cancellation – giving you the right to change your mind within three business days – must be included.

Don’t sign off before the work is completed to your satisfaction. 

Price Gouging is illegal in Texas.   

The Texas Attorney General’s Office is handling all investigations into reports of price gouging.

If you have information about price gouging, you should report it to the Attorney General’s

Consumer Complaint Hotline at 1-800-252-8011. The lines are open between 7 am and 7 pm.

Information collected is relayed directly to agency investigators.

 APPLICATION FOR DISASTER FOOD STAMP ASSISTANCE (.doc)  

 VETERAN ORGANIZATIONS 
OFFERING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ELIGIBLE VETERANS WHO SUFFERED LOSS DURING HURRICANE IKE  

Eligibility open to Legionnaires and Sons of The American Legion members (up to $1,500), 
    Legion posts (up to $5,000).   

Not meant to replace or repair items, only to meet most immediate needs 
    (i.e. temporary housing, food, water, clothing, diapers, etc.). 

Does not cover insurance compensation or monetary losses from a business, 
    structures on your property (barns, tool sheds, etc.), equipment or vehicles. 

Membership must be active at time of disaster and the time of application. 
    http://www.legion.org/veterans/assistance/nef.