FEMA, SBA and the State of Texas Are Opening 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 four Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) on May 28 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 DRCs will open Wednesday, May 28 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at these locations:

Hidalgo County

Weslaco EDC

275 S. Kansas Ave.

Weslaco, TX 78596

 

Starr County

Starr County Courthouse Annex

100 N FM 3167

Rio Grande City, TX 78582

 

Willacy County

Sebastian Community Center

434 West 8th Street

Sebastian, TX 78594

 

Cameron County

Harlingen Convention Center

701 Harlingen Heights

Harlingen, TX 78552

 

Residents can visit any open center to meet with representatives of FEMA, the state of Texas and the SBA. No appointment is needed.

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).

Additional locations may be added.

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/.