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Resources for hurricane victims


From Staff Reports
Updated: 09.17.08
Residents of southeast Texas may be in need of emergency shelter, food, water and medical care. They may also need assistance repairing damaged homes and other property. The following resources are available to help hurricane victims.

Special Needs Evacuation: City of Houston: 311, Harris County: 713-837-0311

Harris County Emergency Management hotline: 713-368-2741

Emergency shelters:


The American Red Cross: 1-866-GET-INFO

The Salvation Army: 713-752-0677

Harris County points of distribution (PODs)

Food is available at every location. Some may also have water and ice.

Ripley House 4410 Navigation

Greater Jerusalem 8901 Jensen

City Courthouse 14350 Wallisville

Windsor Village UMC 6000 Heatherbrook

Zion Lutheran 3606 Beauchamp

San Jacinto 604 Highlands Woods

Baker Junior High, 9700 Spencer Highway, La Porte

Baytown Courthouse Annex, 701 West Baker, Baytown

Raul C. Martinez Annex, 1001 S. Sgt. Macario Garcia

Football Stadium, Center@San Augustine, Deer Park

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can help in a variety of ways.

To register for disaster assistance, call 1-800-621-3362 or TTD 1-800-462-7585

Housing assistance: To be eligible you must (1) have someone in the house who is U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien (meaning, someone, but not necessarily everyone, in the house must be a legal resident); (2) you usually live in the damaged house and were living there at the time of the disaster; (3) you are not able to live in your home now, you cannot get to your home due to the disaster, or your home requires repairs because of damage from the disaster. Second homes are not covered, and if you evacuate as a precaution and can return immediately there is no FEMA coverage. FEMA will cover repairs that are not covered by insurance that are necessary to meet the FEMA standard of “safe”, “sanitary”, or “functional.” Minor or superficial damage is likely not to be covered, repairs needed to make the house livable, or shelter costs for people not able to return due to damage to house or area, are likely to be covered.

Non-Housing Assistance: This includes “necessary expenses and serious needs,” which primarily covers: (1) medical/dental expenses due to disaster, (2) disaster related funeral/burial costs, (3) Clothing; household items (room furnishings, appliances); tools required for your job; necessary educational materials (computers, school books, supplies) that were damaged in the disaster (or needed if you are evacuated long-term; (4) Clean-up items (wet/dry vacuum, dehumidifier); (5) Disaster-damaged vehicle (if insured, a claim must be filed before you seek FEMA assistance); (6) Moving and storage expenses related to the disaster (moving and storing property to avoid additional disaster damage while disaster-related repairs are being made to the home); and (7) other serious needs.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA): This program provides unemployment benefits and re-employment services to individuals who have become unemployed because of major disasters. These benefits are made available to individuals not covered by other unemployment compensation programs, such as self-employed, farmers, migrant and seasonal workers, and those who have insufficient quarters to qualify for other unemployment compensation. All unemployed individuals must register with the State's employment services office before they can receive DUA benefits.

Legal Services Assistance: Volunteer lawyers typically provide services including: (1) Assistance with insurance claims (life, medical, property, etc.); (2) Counseling on landlord/tenant problems; (3) Assisting in consumer protection matters, remedies, and procedures; (4) Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in a major disaster.

Access to health care:

Harris County Hospital District’s Ask Your Nurse Program: 713-633-2255 (24 hours a day)

For help with utilities:

CenterPoint Energy (electricity): 713-207-2222

CenterPoint Energy (gas): 713-659-2111

Direct Energy (business): 877-877-3268; (residential) 888-305-3828

TXU Energy (business): 888-399-5501; (residential) 800-242-9113

For help with transportation:

Metropolitan Transit Authority: 713-635-4000

Texas Department of Transportation (road condition information): 1-800-452-9292

Houston Airport System: 281-233-3000



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