President Joe Biden approved additional financial help for individual Texans affected by Hurricane Beryl on Friday, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
FEMA’s Individual Assistance program offers financial help to households with uninsured or underinsured expenses following a disaster.
FEMA said on July 12 that this help is available to individuals in Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Walker, and Wharton counties.
“Survivors who are uninsured or underinsured can register for assistance that may include funding to repair or replace their homes, temporary housing, access to low-interest loans or other programs to help them jumpstart their recovery,” FEMA said in a press release.
A bipartisan group of Texas congressional lawmakers wrote to President Joe Biden on Friday requesting the approval of this assistance, following up on a formal request sent by Texas’ acting governor, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who stepped in while Gov. Greg Abbott is abroad on an economic development trip.
The group of 18 lawmakers, led by Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas), called for swift action to provide funding through the FEMA Individual Assistance program.
The lawmakers stressed the immediate need for resources, noting that many residents around Houston have been without power for several days amid heat indexes exceeding 100 degrees.
“They urgently need the resources FEMA can provide,” the lawmakers added.
The Biden administration has already approved two forms of federal assistance: Hazard Mitigation Assistance for disaster prevention and Public Assistance for state and local governments. President Biden approved this on July 9, a day after the storm hit, when he declared a major disaster in Texas and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts.
The Texas delegation to Congress acknowledged this help but made a case for why additional assistance was being requested.
“In our experience, these programs have been tremendously beneficial for the recovery of our communities in the aftermath of major disasters, such as the recent storm, Hurricane Beryl,” the lawmakers wrote.
However, the delegation stressed the need for Individual Assistance, as many constituents are more vulnerable in their homes. FEMA’s Individual Assistance program gives financial help and services to people and households affected by disasters who have uninsured necessary expenses or serious needs.
The letter cited Mr. Patrick’s formal application, which said that Texans had experienced damage from “storm surge, flooding, tropical storm force winds, and tornadoes followed by continued extreme heat and power outages, with over two million power outages at the peak.”
Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, Texas, on July 8, causing significant flooding and wind damage. Federal aid was approved the next day after President Biden connected with Mr. Patrick, the acting governor.
According to a July 11 report by catastrophe modeling company Karen Clark and Company (KCC), Hurricane Beryl’s damages could reach up to $2.7 billion. While the storm was only a Category 1 when it hit Matagorda County, Texas, it caused devastating flooding and tornadoes across southeast Texas and other states as it moved northeast toward Canada.
At least seven people have died in Texas, one in Louisiana, and another in Vermont. The storm also affected Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and New York.
“Given the ongoing nature of the post-disaster recovery—particularly as residents attempt to deal with extreme heat while widespread power outages preclude the use of air-conditioning—we write to underscore the urgency of Texas’ request,” the Texas congressional lawmakers wrote.
“Respectfully, we request the same speed of response that your Administration provided in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Beryl’s landfall on Monday, July 8.”
