Tom Green County and San Angelo residents who were affected by the devastating floods on July 4 will now be able to apply for FEMA individual assistance support after President Donald Trump added the county to the Major Disaster Declaration on Friday, as previously reported by the Standard-Times.
Now that over a week has passed since the floods, here is what is next for San Angelo and the residents affected by the flooding.
Damage Resource Center
The Damage Resource Center at PaulAnn Church has moved to the Concho Valley Transit annex building at 506 N. Chadbourne St. Resources will be available to the public from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The center aims to be a comprehensive, one-stop resource for flood survivors to access critical support and begin their recovery process.
The following services will be offered at the new Damage Resource Center:
The San Angelo Community Organizations Active in Disaster will continue to provide immediate and long-term assistance to those affected by the flood through the new DRC at the Concho Valley Transit annex building.
The COAD will provide referrals to specific services, information about cleanup efforts and guidance on insurance claims. The coalition is made up of nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, faith-based groups and volunteer organizations.
For residents needing household items, the Concho Valley Turning Point warehouse will be another distribution center for those items while the Concho Valley Regional Food Bank will be a facility providing food assistance. There will also be essential household items available at the Concho Valley Transit annex building.
Transportation to the DRC, Concho Valley Turning Point, and Concho Valley Regional Food Bank will be provided by COAD.
Financial Assistance
Financial recovery is being managed by the San Angelo Area Foundation, which has already raised over $1 million through 800 individual donations. An emergency grant program is being developed to support affected residents.
“Now that may sound like a lot of money,” Mike Lewis, president and CEO of the San Angelo Area Foundation, said. “That may sound great. On the first Tuesday in May, our community raised $4 million in 24 hours for a lot of nonprofits called San Angelo Hands, so I know we can raise more money.”
Individuals are encouraged to continue donating money to the San Angelo Area Foundation online.
Community officials said the FEMA emergency grants have not started yet, and more information will be released as soon as possible.
Clean-up efforts
COAD has already begun helping residents affected by the flooding by cleaning their homes and businesses. Galilee CDC is now overseeing the cleanup efforts. By analyzing data from submitted Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool Surveys, they aim to compile a comprehensive list of homes that still require cleaning.
COAD and Galilee CDC identified six teams vetted as approved cleaning organizations: TLC in San Angelo, Rubicon, Samaritans, Minutemen Disaster Relief, God’s Pit Crew and Texans on Mission.
The organizations will be in Tom Green County this weekend to help with ongoing efforts. Even though local, state and national organizations are coming to assist in cleanup, city and community officials urge residents to continue helping clean debris from homes and to coordinate with COAD and Galilee CDC.
The CBCAA contacted local utility companies in the area and made arrangements not to disconnect any services. Residents are still urged to contact their utility providers.
Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at sports@gosanangelo.com. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @Paul_Witwer.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: What to know about assistance and flood recovery in San Angelo: FEMA declares disaster
Reporting by Paul Witwer, San Angelo Standard-Times / San Angelo Standard-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
