The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the Individual Assistance registration period for Texans impacted by the winter storm. According to Governor Greg Abbott, the extension comes at the request of the state and encompasses all 254 counties.
February’s winter storm brought widespread power outages and busted water pipes across much of the state. Individuals who live in qualifying counties now have until May 20 to submit damages and make claims to FEMA.
Gov. Abbott originally requested Individual Assistance for all 254 Texas counties on February 18, but FEMA eventually approved only 126 counties.
Those affected by the storm in the other 128 counties have three more weeks to help their counties qualify.
“The proclamation does extend the disaster declaration to all Texas counties and subsequently an extension on the iSTAT (reporting portal) has been extended,” said Dickens County Judge Kevin Brendle. “In a conversation with TDEM reps a few weeks ago, there were few completed surveys but some residents were possibly going to be contacted for possible assistance. We know that some of the entities that initially applied for public assistance have withdrawn their interest.”
Brendle further explained that representatives from the City of Spur, the City of Dickens as well as Dickens County met with TDEM officials in the Dickens County Annex on April 13 to present additional documentation to be uploaded in the FEMA grants portal and, as far as he is aware, are pursuing public assistance.
A total of 27 iSTAT surveys have been completed within Dickens County (7 with major damage, 10 with minor damage, 4 with affected damage and 6 with minimal damage).
“I would emphasize anyone with destroyed and/or major damage especially those that have no insurance and have photos demonstrating damage to essential living spaces report their information as soon as possible via the iSTAT,” Brendle advised. “If they previously submitted an entry without photos and were not certain at the time whether insurance would cover and later found out insurance would not cover, they should resubmit their information. These types of entries will assist in getting the county declared for individual assistance.”
The Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT) may be found online at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/eb 1ab4928205490182896d86783 447d3.
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