H-GAC is committed to helping our region fully recover from the impacts of the Winter Storm. The following information has been compiled from federal, state, and local resources to assist you.
Please contact us if you have any questions or need additional information.
Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) are encouraging Texans to complete the Self Reporting Damage Survey to help the state identify damages across Texas and help emergency management officials gain an understanding of damages that occurred during the recent winter weather.
This data is also needed to provide information to FEMA and highlight the need for federal disaster assistance for individuals.
Reporting damage to the Texas Division of Emergency Management is a voluntary activity, is not a substitute for reporting damage to an insurance agency, and does not guarantee disaster relief assistance.
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), with the assistance of the Texas Military Department, launched a call center to assist Texans, who have limited or no internet access, with completing the State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT).
Texans can call 844-844-3089 between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM seven days a week to submit their disaster damage information. This call center is specifically for Texans who are unable to submit information through the online iSTAT tool.
If needed, a state emergency management professional will visit impacted homes to collect photos and documentation of damage for the validation process.
Texans are urged to fill out the iSTAT, either online or over the phone if internet access is limited, to help the state identify damages across Texas and help emergency management officials gain an understanding of damages that occurred during the recent severe winter weather event.
This data is also needed to provide information to FEMA and highlight the need for federal disaster assistance for individuals.
"The information gleaned from the iSTAT will help us advocate for the support and assistance our communities need to recover from the winter storm," said Governor Abbott. "This call center is available to help Texans without internet access complete this crucial survey."
Visit http://damage.tdem.texas.gov to fill out the iSTAT.
Through the Department of Labor’s National Dislocated Worker Grant, local governments can work with our Workforce Solutions team to secure temporary workers to help with recovery. The jobs are for up to 6 months and are specifically for clean-up and / or repair to public facilities.
Workforce Solutions will source and screen the applicants to make sure they are eligible and will then refer for hire.
Local governments will provide the job descriptions and the supervision of temporary workers and will verify their work by approving their timesheets and work hours.
Workforce Solutions will provide an orientation to the supervisors on how to manage this process. Workforce Solutions pays the workers through a temporary staffing agency and the workers are employees of the temporary staffing agency.
Please send an email to Brenda Williams with Workforce Solutions at [email protected] with the following information:
Contact Brenda Williams, Senior Manager with Workforce Solutions at 713-993-4527 or [email protected].
SNAP customers can request a benefit replacement for food lost or destroyed due to the winter storm in February 2021 by calling 2-1-1 or sending in Form H1855. You do not need to go to an HHSC local office.
Call 2-1-1, select a language, and then choose Option 2.
To request a benefit replacement using form H1855:
Complete Form H1855, Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed Food Stamp Benefits and submit it by mail or fax.
English version of H1855
Spanish version of H1855
Mail
Texas Health & Human Services Commission
PO Box 149027
Austin, TX 78714-9027
Fax
1-877-447-2839
In response to the winter storm, Texans who get SNAP food benefits can buy hot food such as rotisserie chicken and prepared foods from a store's deli at retailers who accept SNAP.
FEMA has announced that federal emergency aid is available to individuals and businesses who sustained losses during the severe winter storm last week. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help recover from the effects of the disaster.
Register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 TTY.
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