Biden administration approves individual aid for Texans in 15 counties affected by Hurricane Beryl – Houston Public Media

Daisy Espinoza / Houston Public Media

Texans in 15 counties hit hard by Hurricane Beryl will be able to apply for financial assistance after the Biden administration approved a statewide individual aid request on Friday.

The announcement came after Acting Gov. Dan Patrick, the state’s lieutenant governor, requested assistance for residents and businesses in Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Walker and Wharton counties.

“I am pleased that FEMA responded quickly to my request,” Patrick said in a statement. Patrick also said he asked the Texas Division of Emergency Management to request that Fort Bend and Nacogdoches counties be added to the list.

“Additional counties may be requested for federal assistance after completing damage assessments required by federal law and regulations,” the statement added.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which oversees disaster response and aid distribution, said in a statement that “assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.”

FEMA urged businesses or residents to apply for assistance by registering at www.DisasterAssistance.govby calling 1-800-621-3362 or using the FEMA Application.

Further information on individual assistance can be found here.

In a social media post, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo praised the administration for its swift response, which she said came “in record time.”

“We will have more news soon on how to apply for direct financial assistance. Thank you to President Biden and our various partners,” she said. published.

It is unclear how long it takes for individual aid to be approved once an application is received. When asked about it, FEMA officials referred only to the statement announcing that the aid had been approved.

The approval comes after a tense exchange earlier this week between Texas Republicans and the White House after President Biden reportedly said aid to Texas may have been slowed because the presidentI couldn’t connect with Patrickwho is serving as acting governor while Gov. Greg Abbott is in Asia on state business. Abbott and Patrick have refuted the accusation and accused Biden of politicizing the natural disaster.