FEMA surveys Harris County neighborhoods affected by May flooding

Less than a week after the Greater Houston area suffered damages and power outages due to flooding and severe storms, Harris County residents filed in line at the Spring Branch Boys and Girls Club on May 21 for water, ice, meals and a place to cool off while still having no power.

Among the crowds that day was federal official Deanne Criswell, administrator from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who toured the Northwest Houston Apartment Complex where broken glass, damaged vehicles and shattered metal parking covers were scattered around the complex's concrete.

Young mothers holding their pink-faced infants in their arms while the heat bore down on them put melting ice packs and packets of water bottles in their strollers after receiving assistance at the distribution center. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said the most immediate message to anyone affected was this: "Apply for FEMA assistance as soon as possible."

Briones said the apartment complex they were touring with Criswell had at least 900 children under 5 years old. Affected persons with mixed immigration statuses can still apply for FEMA eligibility and assistance, she said.

FEMA officials set up a table at the Spring Branch Boys and Girls Club to assist a number of residents affected who were without power or who had other needs.

What residents should know

I’m on the ground in Houston, TX to survey the devastating storm damages & meet with local officials & survivors. Our @FEMA teams are on the ground assisting with response efforts. We will continue to support the state for as long as it takes to help these communities rebuild. pic.twitter.com/njLxnaPSrT

— Deanne Criswell (@FEMA_Deanne) May 21, 2024

According to a news release from FEMA, the individual assistance is for renters and homeowners who experienced damage as a result of any of the flooding or storm winds. The programs available include grants for:

• Temporary housing
• Home repairs
• Low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses
• Serious needs assistance (a one-time $750 payment per household)

To receive assistance, individuals must file a FEMA claim through one of three ways:

• File a claim online at www.disasterassistance.gov.
• Download and file through the FEMA App for mobile devices.
• Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m and 10 p.m.

For Spanish-speaking residents, the FEMA helpline also provides assistance in Spanish.

What they're saying

Houston Mayor John Whitmire said he expressed the following immediate needs to FEMA for some of the most impacted areas:

• Registering residents for FEMA assistance
• Generators
• Other resources including income assistance

Whitmire also said public safety remains a top concern after the Houston storm. He said Houston police officers are deployed at various distribution sites across the city.

"Right now we're focusing on northwest Houston. Commissioner [Briones'] precinct was particularly hit hard, throughout the Heights, right on down to the central business district into the east side communities," Whitmire said.

The impact

Laura Segura is with the Spring Branch Family Development Center. She said she's grateful that FEMA is one of the many resources reaching out to assist the community she has been serving for over 20 years.

"There's lots of needs. But I know people personally and know that there's just so many wonderful, wonderful families here," Segura said. "It's just really nice to have more assets here because we know this just hit out of nowhere, and it's a community that is struggling on a good day to make ends meet."

How to help

The weekend after the May 16 storm, Segura said her organization mobilized a taco truck that made 250 meals on May 19 for residents. Her suggestion for others who can help their neighbors in need during this time was to donate to the nonprofits that are on the ground during this time, including the Houston Food Bank or even her organization, the Spring Branch Family Development Center. The website for the nonprofit can be found here.

"One thing I know is my community is resilient. But I don't want anything to be harder that it has to be. So I'm really grateful for having FEMA here, and the city and the county, and others working together to try to remediate all the needs that are emerging," Segura said.

Jessica Shorten contributed to this report.