Homeowners and renters in Austin, Dallas, Hockley, Kaufman and Newton counties are now eligible for FEMA assistance following the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that began on April 26. This announcement, made on June 6, 2024, expands the list of counties where residents can seek federal aid.
Eligible applicants may receive support for serious needs assistance, basic home repairs, personal property losses, and other expenses related to the storm damage.
As previously reported by Local Profile, assistance was made available to survivors in Collin, Cooke, Denton, and Montague counties in North Texas who experienced storm damage. FEMA can cover costs such as temporary housing, emergency home repairs and medical expenses not covered by insurance. You may be eligible for assistance if you lack insurance or have insufficient coverage. While FEMA will not cover your insurance deductible, it will consider other expenses.
Other counties eligible for assistance include Bell, Calhoun, Eastland, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker and Waller.
To apply for FEMA assistance, homeowners and renters can click here, download the FEMA App for mobile devices, or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., where help is available in most languages. Those using relay services, such as video relay (VRS) or captioned telephone services, should provide FEMA with their specific relay service number.
Once you apply for assistance, your request will be reviewed to determine if an inspection is necessary to verify disaster-related damage to your home and personal property. FEMA staff and inspectors may contact you to discuss the damage caused by the disaster. Additional information may be requested to support your eligibility for assistance or address specific disaster-related needs identified in your application. If more information is required, you will receive a letter from FEMA detailing the necessary documentation.
Additionally, applicants can visit any Disaster Recovery Center. Locations and hours are available online here. For further information, visit fema.gov and follow FEMA Region 6 on social media. An accessible video on how to apply can be viewed at "Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance" on YouTube.
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