Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: FEMA, SBA and the State of Texas Are Opening Additional Disaster Recovery Centers in South Texas
FEMA, SBA and the State of Texas Are Opening Additional Disaster Recovery Centers in South Texas
AUSTIN – In coordination with the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), FEMA and U
S
Small Business Administration (SBA) staff will open three additional Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) on May 30 to offer face-to-face help to residents of the four South Texas counties affected by the severe storms and flooding that occurred March 26-28
Homeowners and renters in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties may be eligible for FEMA assistance for losses not covered by insurance
FEMA and SBA will support state-led recovery efforts at the recovery centers
Staff can help survivors apply for federal assistance
They can also identify potential needs and connect survivors with local, state and federal agencies, as well as nonprofits and community groups
The new DRCs join the four already open in the affected counties
All seven centers will be open Friday, May 30, and will remain open daily from 8 a
m
to 7 p
m
:Cameron CountyNEW: San Benito Parks and Recreation Building705 N Bowie St
San Benito, TXHarlingen Convention Center701 Harlingen HeightsHarlingen, TX 78552Hidalgo CountyNEW: Las Palmas Community Center1921 N
25th St
McAllen, TX NEW: Pharr Development & Research Center 850 W
Dicker Rd Pharr, TXWeslaco EDC275 S
Kansas Ave
Weslaco, TX 78596Starr CountyStarr County Courthouse Annex100 N FM 3167Rio Grande City, TX 78582 Willacy CountySebastian Community Center434 West 8th St
Sebastian, TX 78594 Residents can visit any open center to meet with representatives of FEMA, the state of Texas and the SBA
No appointment is needed
Additional locations may be added
All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology
If you need a reasonable accommodation or sign language interpreter, please call 833-285-7448 (press 2 for Spanish)
FEMA staff are easily recognizable by their official photo identification (ID)
If you meet people offering assistance, first ask to see their ID before giving them your personal information
They may have FEMA clothing, but that can be easily imitated
FEMA staff can help residents in several ways including:Checking the status of an application already in the system and making minor changes to applications
Contacting faith-based organizations, community groups, private sector businesses and public libraries that may have the capability to distribute disaster-related information to residents in the impacted counties
Identifying organizations providing disaster-related services and/or resources to the public for long-term recovery
Gathering information about impacts to communities
Providing flyers explaining how to apply for disaster assistance
Survivors with homeowners or renters insurance should first file a claim with their insurance company as soon as possible
If your policy does not cover all your damage expenses, you may then be eligible for federal assistance
SBA’s Customer Service Representatives are available at the centers to answer questions, assist business owners complete their disaster loan application, accept documents and provide updates on an application’s status
For information and to apply online visit SBA
gov/disaster
Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba
gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance
For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services
Survivors can apply to FEMA in several ways including going online to 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
CT
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
For more information, visit fema
gov/disaster/4871
Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x
com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook
com/FEMARegion6/
myla
ashton
Thu, 05/29/2025 – 18:56