by rhamilton | Aug 24, 2018 | Updates
Reflections on a Year of Recovery
Governor Greg Abbott, remarks from visit to First Baptist Church of Rockport on Aug. 22, 2018:
- “We would not be here without the resilience, without the heart, without the commitment of our fellow Texans. I have never been prouder—as Governor, as a Texan or as a human being—to see the way you responded to the worst of disasters… I know not everybody is yet back in their home. I know that the community is not yet rebuilt. I know there are miles to go before this race is finished… Our goal is to do far more than just rebuild. Our goal is to ensure that we rebuild all of these communities even better than they were before Hurricane Harvey hit…”
Vice President Mike Pence, remarks from visit to First Baptist Church of Rockport on Aug. 22, 2018:
- “It is one year, almost to the day, since Hurricane Harvey made landfall. And I have to tell you, it is good to be back, and it is great to see Rockport and Texas coming all the way back. As the Governor said, we have more work to do. But I came here today on President Trump’s behalf to reaffirm to all of the people—not just to Rockport, but to all across this region—that this administration is going to work with this Governor, with all of the wonderful, outstanding volunteers and faith communities across this region until we rebuild Rockport and all of Texas bigger and better than ever before…”
Commissioner John Sharp, Commission to Rebuild Texas:
- “The way Governor Abbott pulled the Commission together and kept us focused on serving our fellow Texans during a time of great need has been nothing short of inspiring. Words cannot express how especially proud I am of the Texas A&M University System employees who have worked tirelessly throughout this recovery effort. As we have tackled this great undertaking of rebuilding Texas, the people whose lives were thrown into disarray have always been foremost in our hearts and minds. Our communities continue to grow stronger every day, and we will keep doing everything we can to support and encourage this progress.”
Director Steven McCraw, Texas Department of Public Safety:
- “A year ago, Hurricane Harvey took aim at the Texas coast and devastated many of our communities. However Harvey was no match for the resolve of the people of Texas who came together to help one another during the storm and who continue to rebuild today. Local leaders, state and federal partners, volunteer organizations as well as the generosity of countless Texans are to thank for the tremendous response to Harvey—and the continued efforts to make our communities even stronger moving forward.”
Chief Nim Kidd, Texas Division of Emergency Management:
- “As we mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, the costliest disaster in state history, we continue to work together with our local, state and federal partners to enhance our readiness capabilities for any future disasters. Texas is proud to have an emergency management community that is second to none and supportive residents who are quick to help their neighbors—all of whom are to be commended for their efforts then and now.”
Commissioner George P. Bush, Texas General Land Office:
- “A storm the size and magnitude of Hurricane Harvey required a Texas-sized response. Texans united—with our shared sense of solidarity and perseverance—to help one another. State and local leaders coordinated with federal partners to dispatch resources across more than 35,000 square miles of the Texas Coast. The GLO is proud to be the first state agency in Texas history to partner with FEMA on the short-term housing mission, but our work continues with the long-term recovery effort. I am thankful to all who contributed to this historic recovery. As we continue, we remain committed to helping all Texas communities rebuild.”
Texans, Hurricane Harvey Survivors:
- “I wanted to convey my immense gratitude to you for your assistance in cleaning up the debris left by Harvey! As a victim of Hurricane Harvey, I can hardly describe the intensity of my relief and joy I experienced after seeing the TxDOT workers clearing the streets of my neighborhood… One of the TxDOT workers told me that they had come from all over as per your request. I would like to personally extend my most sincere thanks and applaud you for a job well done! This is a crucial and much-appreciated part of the assistance our neighborhood so desperately needs to be able to rebuild.” – Gina
- I just wanted to thank you for your leadership during the storms and floods from Harvey. You were the calming voice we needed to hear during one of the worst storms I can ever remember. Thank you for your empathy, strength and support for all our fellow Texans, we are so grateful to you and your team!” – Lydia
- “We just want to say thank you so much for your continued support and constant visits to help those affected by Harvey. We are amazed by how many trips you’ve made down here and appreciate all your efforts! You are amazing. God bless you!” – Cindy
- You are a man of your word. A governor who made promises to those of us severely impacted by Hurricane Harvey. You have kept every one of those promises… I can only offer a humble thank you for a gift that will bless us for many years to come.” – Cynthia
by rhamilton | Aug 21, 2018 | Updates
Infographics make it easy to understand the facts and figures of the local recovery efforts throughout Texas following Hurricane Harvey.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has compiled, created, and regularly updated infographics during the recovery process that have provided information such as the assistance provided so far, the number of survivors in temporary housing, innovative repair programs, and more.
With the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey approaching, FEMA has published an additional set of infographics that goes into more depth about the first year of the recovery process. The information in it is accurate as of August 17, 2018.
FEMA also released their latest statewide figures, which were updated on August 20, 2018. Additionally, they released county-by-county information – as well as the city-specific information for Houston, Port Aransas, and Rockport – that is current as of August 17, 2018.
You can view or download the one-year infographics, as well as the latest recovery infographics for the state, for all counties, and for three specific cities affected by Hurricane Harvey below.
One Year Later:
Download (PDF, 289KB)
Statewide as of August 20, 2018:
Download (PDF, 1.48MB)
Counties and Select Cities as of August 17:
Download (PDF, 8.51MB)
by rhamilton | Aug 14, 2018 | Updates
Commissioner of Education Mike Morath has announced that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has been awarded more than $174 million in new federal assistance under the Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students program (Emergency Impact Aid). The federal funding will assist Texas school districts with the cost of educating students displaced by Hurricane Harvey during the 2017-2018 school year.
Earlier this year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) provided the U.S. Department of Education with information submitted by school districts and charters regarding displaced students. More than 300 school districts and charters are eligible to receive some portion of this federal funding. Those eligible include:
A.W. Brown Leadership Academy; A+ Unlimited Potential; Abilene ISD; Academy of Accelerated Learning Inc.; Accelerated Intermediate Academy; Advantage Academy; Aldine ISD; Alice ISD; Alief ISD; Alvarado ISD; Alvin ISD; Amarillo ISD; Angleton ISD; Apple Springs ISD; Aransas County ISD; Aransas Pass ISD; Aristoi Classical Academy; Arlington ISD; Arp ISD; Athens ISD; Atlanta ISD; Austin ISD; Austwell-Tivoli ISD; Bandera ISD; Barbers Hill ISD; Bastrop ISD; Bay City ISD; Beaumont ISD; Belton ISD; Beta Academy; Birdville ISD; Bloomington ISD; Bob Hope School; Boerne ISD; Boles ISD; Boling ISD; Bonham ISD; Brazos School For Inquiry & Creativity; Brazosport ISD; Breckenridge ISD; Brenham ISD; Bridge City ISD; Brooks County ISD; Brownsboro ISD; Brownsville ISD; Brownwood ISD; Bryan ISD; Buffalo ISD; Buna ISD; Burkburnett ISD; Burleson ISD; Calallen ISD; Caldwell ISD; Calhoun County ISD; Cameron ISD; Carroll ISD; Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD; Cedar Hill ISD; Celeste ISD; Center ISD; Center Point ISD; Central ISD; Chapel Hill ISD; Chico ISD; Chillicothe ISD; China Springs ISD; Clear Creek ISD; Cleburne ISD; Cleveland ISD; Coldspring-Oakhurst ISD; Colmesneil ISD; Columbia-Brazoria ISD; Comal ISD; Commerce ISD; Community ISD; Como-Pickton ISD; Conroe ISD; Copperas Cove ISD; Corpus Christi ISD; Corrigan-Camden ISD; Cotulla ISD; Crandall ISD; Crockett ISD; Crosby ISD; Crowley ISD; Crystal City ISD; Cuero ISD; Cumberland Academy; Cypress-Fairbanks ISD; Dallas ISD; Damon ISD; Dayton ISD; De Leon ISD; Deer Park ISD; Del Valle ISD; Denison ISD; Desoto ISD; Devers ISD; Deweyville ISD; Diboll ISD; Dickinson ISD; Dilley ISD; Duncanville ISD; Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD; East Bernard ISD; East Chambers ISD; Eastland ISD; Ector County ISD; Edcouch-Elsa ISD; Edgewood ISD (San Antonio); Edgewood ISD (Van Zandt County); Edinburg ISD; Edna ISD; Ehrhart School; El Campo ISD; El Paso ISD; Electra ISD; Elgin ISD; Evolution Academy Charter School; Excelsior ISD; Ezzell ISD; Ferris ISD; Forney ISD; Fort Bend ISD; Fort Worth ISD; Frenship ISD; Friendswood ISD; Galena Park ISD; Galveston ISD; Ganado ISD; Garland ISD; Garner ISD; Gatesville ISD; George I. Sanchez Charter; Georgetown ISD; Gholson ISD; Gladewater ISD; Glen Rose ISD; Goldthwaite ISD; Goose Creek ISD; Gordon ISD; Gorman ISD; Grand Prairie ISD; Grapevine-Colleyville ISD; Greenville ISD; Gregory-Portland ISD; Groesbeck ISD; Groveton ISD; Hallsville ISD; Hamshire-Fannett ISD; Hardin ISD; Hardin-Jefferson ISD; Harleton ISD; Harlingen CISD; Hemphill ISD; High Island ISD; Hitchcock ISD; Houston Gateway Academy Inc.; Houston ISD; Huffman ISD; Hull-Daisetta ISD; Humble ISD; Huntsville ISD; Hutto ISD; Idea Public Schools; Ingleside ISD; International Leadership of Texas (ILT); Iola ISD; Irving ISD; Jarrell ISD; Jasper ISD; Jefferson ISD; Jim Hogg County ISD; Joshua ISD; Jourdanton ISD; Judson ISD; Karnes City ISD; Katy ISD; Kaufman ISD; Kennedale ISD; Kerrville ISD; Killeen ISD; Kingsville ISD; Kirbyville ISD; Klein ISD; Kountze ISD; La Feria ISD; La Joya ISD; La Porte ISD; La Vega ISD; La Vernia ISD; Lake Worth ISD; Lamar CISD; Lancaster ISD; Laredo ISD; Latexo ISD; Leakey ISD; Leander ISD; Legacy Preparatory; Liberty ISD; Lindale ISD; Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD; Little Elm ISD; Llano ISD; London ISD; Louise ISD; Lovelady ISD; Lubbock ISD; Lubbock-Cooper ISD; Lufkin ISD; Lumberton ISD; Lytle ISD; Mabank ISD; Magnolia ISD; Mansfield ISD; Marshall ISD; Mathis ISD; Maud ISD; McDade ISD; Medina Valley ISD; Meridian ISD; Mexia ISD; Midland ISD; Milano ISD; Mineral Wells ISD; Montgomery ISD; Moran ISD; Moulton ISD; Mount Pleasant ISD; Muleshoe ISD; Nacogdoches ISD; Natalia ISD; Navasota ISD; Nederland ISD; Needville ISD; New Caney ISD; New Waverly ISD; North East ISD; Northside ISD; Nursery ISD; Odem-Edroy ISD; O’Donnell ISD; Onalaska ISD; Orangefield ISD; Ore City ISD; Palacios ISD; Palestine ISD; Paris ISD; Pasadena ISD; Patton Springs ISD; Pearland ISD; Pearsall ISD; Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD; Pettus ISD; Pflugerville ISD; Pittsburg ISD; Plano ISD; Pleasanton ISD; Port Aransas ISD; Port Arthur ISD; Port Neches-Groves ISD; Poteet ISD; Princeton ISD; Promise Community School; Quitman ISD; Rains ISD; Raul Yzaguirre School for Success; Raymondville ISD; Refugio ISD; Rice CISD; Richard Milburn Alternative High School (Killeen); Richardson ISD; Rio Hondo ISD; Riviera ISD; Robstown ISD; Rockwall ISD; Round Rock ISD; Royal ISD; Royse City ISD; Sabine Pass ISD; Salado ISD; San Angelo ISD; San Antonio ISD; San Augustine ISD; San Benito CISD; Santa Fe ISD; Santo ISD; Seashore Charter Schools; Seminole ISD; Ser-Ninos Charter School; Sharyland ISD; Shelbyville ISD; Sheldon ISD; Sherman ISD; Silsbee ISD; Simms ISD; Sinton ISD; Smithville ISD; Socorro ISD; Southwest School; Splendora ISD; Spring Branch ISD; Spring ISD; Spurger ISD; St. Mary’s Academy Charter School; Stafford MSD; Step Charter School; Stephenville ISD; Stockdale ISD; Sweeny ISD; Sweet Home ISD; Sweetwater ISD; Taft ISD; Tahoka ISD; Tarkington ISD; Tekoa Academy of Accelerated Studies STEM; Temple ISD; Texarkana ISD; Texas City ISD; Texas Serenity Academy; Texline ISD; The Lawson Academy; The Rhodes School; The Varnett Public School; Tidehaven ISD; Tornillo ISD; Turkey-Quitaque ISD; Two Dimensions Preparatory Academy; United ISD; Universal Academy; University of Houston Charter School; Uvalde CISD; Van Vleck ISD; Venus ISD; Victoria ISD; Vidor ISD; Waco ISD; Walnut Bend ISD; Warren ISD; Waxahachie Faith Family Academy; Waxahachie ISD; Weimar ISD; West ISD; West Orange-Cove ISD; West Oso ISD; Wharton ISD; White Setllement ISD; Whitehouse ISD; Whitesboro ISD; Wichita Falls ISD; Willis ISD; Woodsboro ISD; Wylie ISD (Abilene); Yes Prep Public School Inc.; Yoakum ISD; and Yorktown ISD.
TEA will be contacting the eligible LEAs to provide instructions on how to apply for the federal grant funding.
by rhamilton | Aug 3, 2018 | Updates
“A storm the magnitude of Hurricane Harvey could have ripped us apart, but instead it pulled us together and proved that no force is more powerful than the Texas spirit. We salute the heroes of Hurricane Harvey who stepped up… I thank these brave men and women for answering a higher calling, and for putting their lives on the line when they were needed most.”
─ Governor Greg Abbott
Governor’s Commission to Rebuild Texas
- Governor Abbott joined the South Belt-Ellington Chamber of Commerce gala honoring Hurricane Harvey heroes and first responders in Houston. The Governor thanked all those involved in response and recovery efforts for their bravery during the storm, as well as the entire Houston community for their resilience as rebuilding continues.
- Hurricane season runs through November. Governor Abbott reminds Texans to review their property’s flood risk and current insurance coverage, and to consider whether a separate flood policy should be part of their home protection plan. Most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period before taking effect. Visit FloodSmart.gov to find more information.
- A reminder from FEMA: The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) proof of loss deadline to file for flood damages is one year from the date of loss. For more information, call the NFIP Call Center at 800-427-4661.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that agricultural producers affected by Hurricane Harvey may apply now through Nov. 16, 2018, for assistance to help recover and rebuild their farming operations. The 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) was authorized by Congress earlier this year in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. For more information, contact your local USDA service center or visit www.farmers.gov/recover/whip.
- FEMA has awarded more than $6.2 million to TxDOT for support activities following Hurricane Harvey. The department set up temporary base camps in Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, Sugarland, Beaumont, Refugio, Yoakum and Liberty to provide lodging and meals to first responders and emergency officials after Harvey’s landfall. This funding comes from FEMA’s Public Assistance grant program, which reimburses eligible applicants for actions taken in the immediate response and during recovery from a disaster.
- FEMA released the 2017 Hurricane Season FEMA After-Action Report examining the agency’s performance during the record breaking season. Last year, hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria devastated the nation at a time when FEMA was already supporting 692 federally declared disasters. The report identified 18 key findings across five focus areas and offered targeted recommendations for FEMA improvements, as well as broader lessons for partners throughout the emergency management community.
Housing
- Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced $45,980,638 in funds to rehabilitate, reconstruct and construct affordable multi-family rental housing damaged by Hurricane Harvey in Brazoria, Jefferson, Matagorda, Victoria and Walker counties. The money is being awarded from $250 million in Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery funding from HUD as designated in the State Action Plan for the Multi-Family Affordable Rental Property Program.
- Commissioner Bush announced HUD approved an amendment awarding $8 million in additional funds for a buyout program in Harris County for repeatedly flooded homes. The funds are being awarded from HUD’s first allocation of $57.8 million in Community Development Block Grants for Disaster Recovery funds after Hurricane Harvey.
- GLO and FEMA are advising Texans currently living in a FEMA Manufactured Housing Unit (MHU) to protect family and property. MHUs are designed to be exceptionally safe and secure, but all forms of housing are at risk for damage in severe weather. Never take shelter in an MHU during high winds, a tornado, a hurricane or a flood. Stay alert to weather warnings, and always follow the guidance of local officials including evacuation orders. If your MHU is damaged due to severe weather, contact the maintenance number provided when licensed in the unit.
- Reminder: Flood insurance must be maintained to qualify for federal assistance in the future. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders with questions may call 800-621-3362, Mon. to Sat., 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For information, visit FloodSmart.gov.
- Current housing numbers are now posted on rebuildtexas.today/recovery-tracker.
- TexasRebuilds.com is the housing information resource for individuals and communities.
- Follow Twitter.com/TXGLO for updates on housing recovery.
Individual Assistance
- Current individual assistance numbers are now posted on rebuildtexas.today/recovery-tracker.
- To find the nearest Disaster Recovery Center visit fema.gov/drc, or text DRC along with a zip code to 43362 (4FEMA). Survivors also can find help by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362, logging into DisasterAssistance.gov or downloading the FEMA app fema.gov/mobile-app.
- FEMA’s Disaster Distress Helpline offers trained professionals who can help callers cope with anxiety or stress, and guide them to available resources. This toll-free, multilingual and confidential crisis support service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 800-985-5990, 800-846-8517 (TTY) or text TalkWithUs (Spanish-speakers text: Hablanos) to 66746.
by rhamilton | Jul 31, 2018 | Updates
Infographics make it easy to understand the facts and figures of the local recovery efforts throughout Texas following Hurricane Harvey.
These infographics were compiled, created, and updated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They include information about the assistance provided so far, the number of survivors currently in temporary housing and innovative repair programs, and more.
The statewide figures were updated on July 30, 2018, and the county-by-county information – as well as the city-specific information for Houston, Port Aransas, and Rockport – is current as of July 27, 2018. All infographics will continue to be updated throughout the recovery process.
You can view or download the latest recovery infographics for the state, for all counties, and for three specific cities affected by Hurricane Harvey below.
Statewide:
Download (PDF, 207KB)
Counties and Select Cities:
Download (PDF, 4.82MB)