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Many District 7 residents have lost their homes or suffered flood damage after over 17 inches of rain inundated Harris County and the City of Houston during the recent April floods. Thirteen of Harris County’s bayous were above their embankments. More than 11,000 homes across Texas have flooded. If you are a victim of the recent flooding in Harris County, resources are available to you. As always, should you need assistance with regard to FEMA benefits or the IRS, please contact my district office at 713-682-8828
Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center:
FEMA’s disaster recovery center at the Bayland Community Center in Houston will close at 2 p.m. on June 25 and begin operating as a U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loan outreach center on June 27.
The disaster loan outreach center will begin operations at 9 a.m. Monday.
Location:
Bayland Community Center
6400 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77074
Hours:
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday
Closed Saturdays and Sundays
SBA customer service representatives will be available to meet with business owners and
residents to answer questions, explain SBA’s disaster loan program and close their approved
disaster loans. Business owners and residents can meet with SBA representatives on the days and times indicated. No appointment is necessary.
Applicants for disaster loans may apply online using the electronic loan application via SBA’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
The SBA application deadline for individuals and households is June 24. The deadline for
businesses to submit a loan application for economic injury is Jan. 25, 2017.
Disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may call 800-877-8339. For more disaster assistance information or to download applications, visit sba.gov/disaster.
TAX INFORMATION:
Texas storm victims, including those in the Houston area, will have until Sept. 1, 2016 to file their returns and pay any taxes due.
This includes 2015 income tax returns normally due on April 18. It also includes the April 18 and June 15 deadlines for making quarterly estimated tax payments. A variety of business tax deadlines are also affected including the May 2 and Aug. 1 deadlines for quarterly payroll and excise tax returns.
The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. Thus, taxpayers need not contact the IRS to get this relief. For more information, click here.
DEBRIS REMOVAL:
Beginning Saturday, April 23, 2016 the City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department and private contractors working on the City's behalf will begin storm debris collection in the single-family neighborhoods impacted by Monday’s flooding. This includes the following areas in District 7.
- Larchmont
- Link Meadow
- Linkwood
- Meyerland
The City asks residents to help by separating everything into the following six categories.
- Normal Household Trash - Normal household trash and bagged debris of any kind will not be picked up with debris as part of this program. You should continue to follow your normal garbage schedule.
- Vegetative Debris – leaves (do not put in bags), logs, plants, tree branches
- Construction & Demolition Debris – building materials, carpet, drywall, furniture, lumber, mattresses, and plumbing
- Appliances & White Goods – air conditioners, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters
- Electronics – computers, radios, stereos, televisions, other devices with a cord
- Household Hazardous Waste – cleaning supplies, batteries, lawn chemical, oils, oil-based paints, stains and pesticides
DISASTER ASSISTANCE:
Survivors with questions regarding their applications or the appeals process still have several ways to obtain information:
- Go online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available.
- Visit the Texas Disaster Recovery website http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4269.
- Contact U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visit SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.
- FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has a call center to answer Texas policyholders’ flood insurance questions. Specialists can help with servicing claims, providing general information and offering technical assistance to aid in recovery. To speak with a flood insurance specialist, call 800-621-3362 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Visit http://www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.
- For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4269., Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.
If you have problems navigating the FEMA application process, or you need assistance with any other federal agency, please contact the Houston office at (713) 682-8828.
Harris County Flood Control District Administers the FEMA Voluntary Home Buyout Program in Harris County. For information on the program, eligibility, and to apply, click here.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
City of Houston –Houston residents should visit the City of Houston recovery website, or dial 3-1-1 for assistance.
American Red Cross –For shelter, food, clothing, and other emergency assistance, call the American Red Cross at (866) 526-8300.
Harris County Flood Control District – For the latest information on the state of Harris County’s watersheds, visit the website or to report house flooding call 713-684-4000.
Harris County Recovery Network –For questions about general disaster recovery resources available to Harris County residents, please call the Community Services Department team at (713) 696-1998, or visit their website.
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