Congressman Gonzalez Encourages Hidalgo County Residents to Visit Disaster Recovery Centers for FEMA Assistance

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, issued the following news release:

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) is encouraging Hidalgo County residents, affected by recent severe storms and flooding, to apply for available Individual Assistance (IA) offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), authorized by the administration's Federal Disaster Declaration - FEMA-4377-DR. Hidalgo County residents can visit designated FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) for one-on-one assistance.

This comes after Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA) from local, state, and federal officials satisfied the U.S. Small Business Administration's criteria. The congressman previously called on President Donald J. Trump, FEMA Administrator William B. Long, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott to authorize this assistance.

"I would like to thank FEMA for providing the critical funding needed to rehabilitate South Texas communities," Congressman Gonzalez said. "I advise all those impacted in Hidalgo to visit these centers for one-on-one assistance to rebuild and recover."

Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Hidalgo County

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) will be open in Hidalgo County for homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the severe storms and flooding.

If possible, register for FEMA assistance by phone or online before visiting a center. Going to a DRC is not a requirement of registration, but specialists there can provide guidance regarding disaster recovery and rental resources, explain written correspondence received from FEMA, inform survivors of the status of their application, make referrals to other organizations and answer questions.

The DRC locations and hours of operation are:

DRC 1

Hidalgo County

City of Weslaco Economic Development Center

275 South Kansas Ave

Weslaco, TX 78596

7/17/18 1:00 pm

DRC 2

Hidalgo County

City of Mission Social Event Center

155 South Mayberry Road

Mission, TX 78572

7/18/18 1:00 pm

DRC 3

Hidalgo County

McAllen Chamber of Commerce: Old Church Winery

700 North Main Street

McAllen, Texas

Opens Friday, July 20, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. CT

If your home IS safe, sanitary, and secure:

You can check to see if you are eligible for disaster assistance from other Federal, state, and voluntary organizations by visiting https://www.disasterassistance.gov/get-assistance/find-assistance. This tool can help you identify available resources in your community.

If your home is NOT safe, sanitary, or secure:

Visit www.disasterassistance.gov, or call 1-800-621-3362 to assess your needs and to find out what federal assistance may be available to you. If you use TTY, call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

Although FEMA cannot make you whole, it may help your recovery move forward by providing grants for basic repairs to make your home safe, sanitary and secure. FEMA assistance may also provide temporary help with a place for you and your family to stay while you build your own recovery plan.

Apply for a low-interest disaster loan:

If you were referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) after applying with FEMA. The SBA may contact you with information about low-interest disaster loans for homeowners and renters after you apply for FEMA help. There's no obligation to accept a loan offer, but you'll miss out on the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds for survivors if you don't complete an application.

Information about low-interest SBA disaster loans and application forms are available online at SBA.gov/disaster. You may also call 800-659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. If you use TTY, call 800-877-8339.