More Than $7 Million in Hurricane Alex Assistance Headed to Texas

One month after a presidential declaration, and as Tropical Storm Hermine was bearing down on South Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that more than $7 million in state and federal grants and loans is on the way to Texans affected by Hurricane Alex, which blew into Northeast Mexico and South Texas in late June. More than 2,600 people have registered for assistance.

“Our number one priority is to quickly deliver assistance to Hurricane Alex survivors,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Brad Harris. “Our partners with the state of Texas and the Small Business Administration (SBA) are working to help us achieve that goal.”

More than $4.7 million has been disbursed for temporary housing assistance and home repairs, under the Individuals and Households Program (IHP).

More than $1.1 million in Other Needs Assistance (ONA) has been disbursed to help meet serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other aid programs. These include personal property replacement, moving and storage, transportation, and medical and burial expenses.

The SBA has approved more than $1.1 million in low-interest loans to Texas homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofit organizations.

FEMA inspectors have completed 2,252 inspections of damaged homes, or 90 percent of those requested to date.

Three State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) are open in affected counties, offering residents a chance to meet with specialists in person. The open DRCs are in Edinburg, Del Rio and Brownsville.

More than 1,100 visits have been made to the DRCs.

The deadline to register for FEMA disaster assistance is Oct. 4.