Tag Archive for: abbott

FEMA Disaster Assistance Available

5/20/24 – A disaster declaration by Governor Abbott that covers May flood and windstorm damage has been partially approved by President Biden. That means FEMA disaster Assistance is now available for people who suffered damage in the Lake Houston Area plus Harris, Montgomery, Liberty and four more counties.

This post explains eligibility, benefits, and how to apply.

After inspection, people can be eligible for a number of benefits, including:

  1. $750 in serious needs assistance
  2. Displacement assistance for temporary housing
  3. Home Repair Assistance
Home damage from East Fork in May 2024 flooding

In addition, money may become available to governmental entities for mitigation assistance. Harris County will hold a special session of Commissioners Court tomorrow, in part, to discuss contracts for disaster response, debris removal and more.

Text of FEMA Press Release

AUSTIN – Texans who sustained damage from the recent severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that began April 26 may be eligible for disaster assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. Currently, residents living in Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity and Walker counties may be eligible for disaster assistance.

FEMA’s disaster assistance offers new benefits that provide flexible funding directly to survivors when needed the most. In addition, a simplified process and expanded eligibility allows Texans access to a wider range of assistance and immediate funds for serious needs.

New Benefits for Immediate Funds
  • Serious Needs Assistance, a $750 payment for households for essential items will now be provided in all disasters receiving Individual Assistance to help people make ends meet.
  • Displacement Assistance, a new benefit that will provide people with up-front funds to assist with immediate housing options of their choice, to keep people housed.

Serious Needs Assistance and Displacement Assistance are both funded after a completed inspection confirms eligibility.

Apply to FEMA

Survivors can apply to FEMA in several ways including online at DisasterAssistance.gov, downloading the FEMA App for mobile devices, or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Calls are accepted every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. To view an accessible video about how to apply visit: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube.

Additional Assistance and Benefits
  • Streamlined Application Requirements so people can apply to SBA and FEMA at the same time.
    • Support for Underinsured People for the first time to help them cover aspects of home repair that insurance companies won’t pay for, but they can’t afford on their own, up to the full $42,500.
  • Simplified Assistance for Entrepreneurs by providing self-employed people with some initial financial support to replace disaster-damaged tools and equipment to help them land on their feet.
    • Ex.: computers if you are a gig worker, lawnmower if you are a landscaper
  • Expanded Habitability Criteria to help people make their homes safer and cleaner post-disaster and so they can repair all aspects of their home post-disaster.
    • Previously, if a home had a leaky roof pre-disaster, that area of the home wouldn’t qualify.
  • Made Accessibility Improvements to help people with disabilities improve their living conditions by making their homes even more accessible than they were pre-disaster.
  • Streamlined Temporary Housing Assistance Applications by reducing documentation requirements for applicants who need to extend their stay in FEMA-supported temporary housing.
  • Simplified the Process for Appeals so people who wish to appeal FEMA’s decisions will no longer need to provide a signed, written appeal letter to accompany the supporting documentation.
  • Computer Assistance for people who need to repair or replace disaster-damaged computers.
Rental Assistance for Temporary Housing

If you currently reside in Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity and Walker counties and suffered damage to your primary residence, FEMA may be able to provide rent for a temporary place to live while you are displaced. Rental assistance is intended to cover monthly rent, security deposit and cost of essential utilities such as electricity and water.

Major Repairs and Out-of-Pocket Expenses

FEMA’s Individuals and Household Program assistance is intended to help jumpstart your recovery. Here are some examples of basic needs:

  • Home Repair Assistance may be provided to homeowners to repair the structural parts of your home. This includes windows, doors, floors, walls, ceilings, cabinets, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system (HVAC), utilities (electrical, plumbing and gas systems) and entrance ways. FEMA may also reimburse for the actual cost to repair or replace your furnace, private well and septic system that was damaged or destroyed by the disaster.

For the latest information visit fema.gov/disaster/4781. Follow the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at twitter.com/FEMARegion6 or on Facebook at facebook.com/FEMARegion6/. 

Here is a PDF of FEMA’s press release that you can print and give to friends, neighbors and family members who may not have power.

Status of Other Counties Affected by Storms

The Governor’s press release states that presidential approval of the disaster request for other counties remains under review. Many counties are still collecting damage estimates.

Types of Eligible Expenses

Abbott’s press release also states that qualifying Texans who sustained damage may apply for FEMA Individual Assistance Program funding to assist with expenses, such as “temporary housing, emergency home repairs, uninsured and underinsured personal property losses, disaster legal services, disaster unemployment assistance, and medical, dental, and funeral expenses caused by the disaster.” 

Hazard Mitigation Component

President Biden’s approval also authorizes additional FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program resources to be made available. It’s not clear yet where that money would go or how it would be spent.

Harris County Commissioner’s Court will hold a special meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. On the Agenda, Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge has requested a discussion and possible action related to the disaster.

The discussion will include contracts for disaster response, debris removal, and recovery.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/20/24

2456 Days since Hurricane Harvey and two weeks since the last disaster

Entire Texas Republican Congressional Delegation Urges Abbott, Paxton to Investigate Colony Ridge

A letter dated September 30, 2023, and signed by all 25 members of the Texas Republican Congressional delegation urged Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate numerous allegations related to Colony Ridge in an upcoming special session of the Texas Legislature. The Colony Ridge developer has already launched a charm offensive designed to defeat what it calls “scurrilous rumors and lies.”

Congressional Letter Suggests Scope of Investigation

The controversial Liberty County development has drawn media attention dating back to at least 2015. The letter by Texas Congressional Republicans refers to many of those. Allegations in the letter include:

  • “Owner-financed loans with no credit check or proof of legal residency, making the location an optimal haven for illegal aliens amid a historic border crisis.”
  • Public safety concerns, including creating a “no-go zone” for law enforcement
  • Sewage spills
  • Fecal contamination in drainage ditches
  • Significant erosion in drainage ditches leading to increased risk of downstream flooding
  • Adverse effects on neighboring communities
  • Unsuccessful local attempts to remediate issues
  • Lack of fire hydrants
  • Improvised living conditions
  • Water, power and flooding issues
  • Violent crime including several high profile murders
  • The largest drug busts in the history of Liberty County
  • Drug cartel activity
  • Overwhelming the Cleveland ISD with “thousands of illegal aliens.”

The letter concludes with:

  • A list of things that the Congressional Republicans have fought for at the federal level to make America secure.
  • A request for Abbott and Paxton to share the results of their investigations with Congress.
  • An offer to assist the state.

Since media attention to Colony Ridge has mushroomed, claims like those above have become harder and harder to brush off – especially in an election year, when Republicans have framed illegal immigration as a core issue.

To see the full, six-page, footnoted letter, click here.

Will Investigation be Instant Replay of Paxton Impeachment Trial?

Ironically, Paxton’s office will theoretically do the investigating. His recent impeachment trial centered around his relationship with a developer (but not this one). It will be interesting to see how/whether that affects this investigation. Only one thing is certain: Paxton, Abbott and Colony Ridge will be under a national spotlight.

Colony Ridge Developer Launches Charm Campaign

The developer also released a letter, one day ahead of the Congressional letter. (See below.) It calls the allegations “salacious lies and rumors.” It offered to give members of the Texas legislature tours of Colony Ridge in advance of the upcoming special session. I’m sure the tours will be heavily curated. For instance, I doubt they will:

  • Go down streets with horrific living conditions
  • Highlight their lack of fire hydrants
  • Show off sewage spills
  • Point out the bridge they blew out on FM1010
  • Highlight the repossession rate of property (I talked to one owner of a new lot who was the fourth owner.)
  • Tour eroded channels (that would require maintenance roads at a minimum).

Here’s the Colony Ridge letter.

Notice that the developer’s letter does NOT deny drainage problems.

Complies with All Regulations? Really???

I was not invited to the developer’s party. But any member of the Texas legislature who wants to see whether they comply with Liberty County regulations can consult these posts.

Colony Ridge Stormwater Detention Basins, Ditches Fail to Meet Liberty County Standards

When I first started exploring Colony Ridge, I learned that Liberty County did not have construction plans, nor required drainage studies for many Colony Ridge subdivisions. And those that the County could supply underestimated the runoff from Colony Ridge by misrepresenting the soil types found there. The extra runoff blew out FM1010 which remains unrepaired as of this writing.

Colony Ridge Drainage Reports Misrepresent Soil Types, Underestimate Runoff; Many Reports Missing

Colony Ridge also failed to meet fire-hydrant spacing and pressure requirements in the Liberty County Fire Code. I have ten fire hydrants on my block. At last count, Colony Ridge had 59 in an area 50% larger than Manhattan.

As Wildfire Weather Sets In, Fastest Growing Area in Liberty County Fails to Meet Fire-Code Requirements

If you want to see an example of their “fully engineered” sewers, see this post. But hold your nose.

48,000 Gallons of Fecal Contamination Found in Liberty County’s Colony Ridge Ditches, Streams; Problems Persist

This post explores more Colony Ridge issues and impacts…

History of Heartbreak: A Colony Ridge Chronicle

Posted by Bob Rehak on October 1, 2023

2224 Days since Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.

Great Lakes Finishes Dredging Early; Accelerates Need for Mouth Bar Decision

Last month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicted that dredging could take until early May. They allowed another month for de-mobilization. However, one of the two dredgers on the job, Great Lakes, finished this week. Their early finish could affect a series of decisions on the mouth bar.

Sand Bar blocking the West Fork of the San Jacinto where it enters Lake Houston. The City estimates that 1.4 million cubic yards of sediment was deposited in this area during Harvey.

Early Finish, New Possibilities

The early finish could let mouth-bar dredging start sooner. However, it also could put pressure on the Corps to consider options not in play a week ago.

At the end of March, the City of Houston submitted an application to FEMA to fund mouth bar dredging. The purpose: remove 1.4 million cubic yards of sediment from the giant sand bar at the mouth of the San Jacinto West Fork. Separately, the City also submitted a permit application to the Army Corps to store the dredging spoils on property in Humble, across from Kingwood’s River Grove Park.

Officials hoped that decisions could be made on both requests before the dredgers began demobilizing. That could save up to $18 million in re-mobilization fees. From a taxpayer-savings point of view, it’s more economical to keep the dredgers dredging than organize a second separate project.

However, Great Lake’s early finish is forcing everyone from Galveston to Houston to Austin to Washington to scramble.

Great Lakes’ dredge is back at the dock at the Corps’ command site in Humble.

New Possibilities

As of this afternoon, the Army Corps said it was still reviewing the storage application permit to use the property in Humble. The permit review plus site prep, if approved, could take months though.

This raised the question of a backup site and the obvious one in my mind is one the Corps is already using – Placement Area #2 (PA2) on Sorters Road south of Kingwood College.

But that would require a much longer run, additional booster pumps, more pipe, and most likely…the larger, more powerful dredge that just finished.

Experts tell me that it is technically feasible to pump the sand all the way from the mouth bar to PA2 – IF the sand mine operator would allow it.

Evaluating Alternatives

Will the higher cost of the longer run eat up any savings that come from avoiding a second mobilization? The Corps has not yet had time to explore all possibilities and run the numbers, but it’s good to know another possibility may exist…

  • …if FEMA acts right away
  • …if the Humble property runs into problems
  • …if the Corps needs to move quickly to take advantage of the larger dredge.

To help keep all options open, officials throughout Texas at every level have leaped into action.

Crenshaw and Brady Urge Quick Action

This morning, representatives from Congressman Dan Crenshaw’s office met with FEMA. Both Crenshaw and Congressman Kevin Brady sent a letter to FEMA three days ago, underscoring the need for quick action on the grant request.

City, State Pushing, Too

City officials have scrambled also. Dave Martin, Houston City Council Member said, “I’ve been in communication all day, and had multiple conversations with Great Lakes; Congressman Dan Crenshaw’s office; Chief Nim Kidd of the Texas Division of Emergency Management; Stephen Costello, the City’s Chief Recover Officer, and more.” Reportedly, even Governor Abbott got involved at one point.

According to Martin, “Our #1 goal is a Mission Assignment.”

Still Time to Save Re-mobilization Costs

Martin added,”Nothing is being disassembled, yet. They are not removing any pipe yet. They are taking advantage of this down time to check the pipe’s condition so that it can be replaced if necessary. I’m guardedly optimistic at this time.”

One experienced dredger explained that pipe can wear out. Coarse sand, he said, can be very abrasive, especially with steel pipe.

So for the time being, dredgers are performing necessary maintenance and inspections. That could take days or weeks. However, it probably will not keep them here months. Bottom line: the clock is ticking … louder now than before.

Contractors can’t tolerate downtime indefinitely. How long they decide to wait will most likely depend on the certainty of future work. That depends on FEMA and how quickly it acts.

Update on Funding

FEMA has not yet committed any funding. Stephen Costello has said in the past that the amount they fund will depend on their assessment of the City’s assessment. The two sides need to agree on how much mouth-bar sediment came from Harvey.

Separately in Austin, SB500, a supplemental appropriations bill, has been approved unanimously by both the House and Senate. It includes an amendment from State Representative Dan Huberty that includes $30 million for dredging the mouth bar. That money could help form the local match for FEMA. Next step for SB500: conference committee and the governor’s desk.

Mayor Sylvester Turner has committed $18 million from the City, according to City Council Member Martin. And the County committed $10 million in last year’s flood bond.

Keep in mind though that we must also budget for dredging beyond the mouth bar. We need East Fork, remainder of the West Fork, and maintenance dredging.

All the pieces are falling into place. Keep your fingers crossed and your eyes on FEMA. This is a high-stakes, political drama for the Lake Houston area!

Posted by Bob Rehak on April 12, 2019

591 Days since Hurricane Harvey

Governor Abbott Extends Hurricane Harvey Disaster Declaration

Last week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott extended the disaster declaration for the 60 counties affected by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The extension enables government agencies to work together under special rules designed to enable mitigation efforts and speed them up. See the wording in the third paragraph from the bottom. Below is the exact text of the Governor’s press release:

Governor Greg Abbott Extended The State Disaster Declaration In January For Texas Counties Affected By Hurricane Harvey

January 18, 2019 | Austin, Texas | Proclamation

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME: 

WHEREAS, I, GREG ABBOTT, Governor of the State of Texas, issued a disaster proclamation on August 23, 2017, certifying that Hurricane Harvey posed a threat of imminent disaster for Aransas, Austin, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Harris, Jackson, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kleberg, Lavaca, Liberty, Live Oak, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Waller, Wharton and Wilson counties; and

WHEREAS, the disaster proclamation of August 23, 2017, was subsequently amended on August 26, August 27, August 28 and September 14 to add the following counties to the disaster proclamation: Angelina, Atascosa, Bastrop, Bexar, Brazos, Burleson, Caldwell, Cameron, Comal, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hardin, Jasper, Kerr, Lee, Leon, Madison, Milam, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Washington and Willacy; and

WHEREAS, on September 20, 2017, and in each subsequent month effective through today, I issued proclamations renewing the disaster declaration for all counties listed above; and

WHEREAS, due to the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, a state of disaster continues to exist in those same counties;

NOW, THEREFORE, in accordance with the authority vested in me by Section 418.014 of the Texas Government Code, I do hereby renew the disaster proclamation for the 60 counties listed above.

Pursuant to Section 418.017 of the code, I authorize the use of all available resources of state government and of political subdivisions that are reasonably necessary to cope with this disaster.

Pursuant to Section 418.016 of the code, any regulatory statute prescribing the procedures for conduct of state business or any order or rule of a state agency that would in any way prevent, hinder or delay necessary action in coping with this disaster shall be suspended upon written approval of the Office of the Governor. However, to the extent that the enforcement of any state statute or administrative rule regarding contracting or procurement would impede any state agency’s emergency response that is necessary to protect life or property threatened by this declared disaster, I hereby authorize the suspension of such statutes and rules for the duration of this declared disaster.

In accordance with the statutory requirements, copies of this proclamation shall be filed with the applicable authorities.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and have officially caused the Seal of State to be affixed at my office in the City of Austin, Texas, this the 18th day of January, 2019. 

GREG ABBOTT
Governor

To view a PDF of the signed document, click here.

Posted by Bob Rehak on January 22, 2019

511 Days since Hurricane Harvey