NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, Texas — Residents in East Texas counties are eligible for disaster recovery assistance, according to a statement released by FEMA.
FEMA announced that homeowners and renters in Anderson, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk and Sabine counties are now eligible for FEMA assistance after the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that occurred April 26 through June 5.
Applicants may qualify for serious needs assistance, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other expenses related to storm damage. On July 17, FEMA approved assistance to replace or repair a vehicle damaged during the storms. Officials specified the vehicle must no longer be operable or safe to drive, and that the assistance explicitly does not cover cosmetic damage sustained during the disaster.
- Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Download the FEMA App for mobile devices
- Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Help is available in most languages.
- Visit any Disaster Recovery Center between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
So far, FEMA has approved 2,367 Smith County residents for individual assistance, for a total of nearly $5.8 million, according to Smith County Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore. There are also mobile FEMA Disaster Survivors Assistance personnel checking on residents’ damages in Smith County. These employees all have federal identification, and are not allowed to open gates or cross no trespassing signs. Citizens with any of these restrictions must visit online, call, or visit the Hub.
The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is Aug. 15. FEMA has previously approved Austin, Bell, Calhoun, Collin, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Falls, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Hockley, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Liberty, Montague, Montgomery, Navarro, Newton, Polk, San Jacinto, Smith, Terrell, Trinity, Tyler, Van Zandt, Walker and Waller counties for assistance.