By day's end Monday, FEMA had not opened a disaster recovery center in Beaumont or the immediate surrounding area -- much of which was devastated by Harvey.
Centers were operating Monday in Houston, Edna, Columbus and La Grange -- while residents in areas like Orange, Bevil Oaks and Port Arthur saw no nearby full-scale recovery centers.
Asked what specifically was being done by FEMA in each local county, a spokesperson for the agency was unable to provide any precise details. 12 News asked FEMA about efforts in Jefferson, Orange, Newton, Jasper, Hardin and Sabine Counties and only received a list of statewide efforts in return.
The four disaster recovery centers that are open are providing in-person support to people and businesses in the 32 counties included in the federal disaster declaration for Harvey, according to FEMA. However, for individuals and business owners who lost everything, getting to one of those centers may prove difficult.
>> NOTE: If you are interested in driving to a disaster recovery center, locations can be found at the bottom of this story.
Southeast Texans unable to reach a disaster recovery center should instead try one of the following options:
- Register for FEMA aid online (If you need a computer, try your local public library)
- Call 800-621-3362 (Voice, 711/VRS-Video Relay Service)
- TTY: 800-462-7585
- Press 2 for Spanish
- Download the FEMA app. Click here to download.
No matter how you register, you're going to want to have the following information ready: the address where the damage occurred, your current mailing address, a current phone number, your insurance information, your total household annual income figure, your routing and bank account number for direct deposit purposes and a description of all your damages and losses.
On Monday, FEMA granted Texas Governor Greg Abbott's request for Community Disaster Loan assistance that will help cities recovering from the storm receive funding to help maintain their operating budgets while they work on rebuilding southeast Texas.
"These loans are critical to providing cities with the resources and flexibility to recover while still providing important services to the Texans in their communities," Abbott said.
DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER LOCATIONS:
George R. Brown Convention Center
1001 Avenida de las Americas
Houston, TX 77010
Hours: Daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cowboy Memorial Football Stadium
1303 West Gayle St.
Edna, TX 77957
Hours: Daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Colorado County Services Facility
305 Radio Lane
Columbus, TX 78934
Hours: Daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Randolph Recreation-Activity Center
653 East Pearl Street
La Grange, TX 78945
Hours: Daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
