The flood that pounded the Houston area on May 25-26, directly impacted the residents of District K. As a result, Mayor Parker and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett solicited the assistance of FEMA declaring Harris County and its municipalities a flood disaster area.
Those residents that were affected by structural damages are advised to report all flood damage to 311 so the City of Houston can effectively analyze the flood patterns.
The City’s Public Works & Engineering Dept. (PWE) has created a webpage for accessing frequently asked questions with information on how to determine whether your home is located in the floodplain (which impacts the requirements for repairs), how to obtain the appropriate permitting for repairs, how to obtain a Substantial Damage Determination letter from the City of Houston (which is needed in some cases to apply for certain types of federal assistance), and more. Please access http://www.publicworks.houstontx.gov/storm-damage-repair.html.
As a note, residents whose homes are located in the floodplain must contact the City of Houston Flood Management Office (FMO) prior to making repairs. The FMO can be reached at (832) 394-8854 or via email at fmo@houstontx.gov. You may also visit the FMO in person at the Houston Permitting Center (1002 Washington Ave.) from Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
For those that were directly affected by the May 25-26 flood, volunteer attorneys from the Houston Bar Association are answering questions over the phone and providing legal advice. Houstonians are encouraged to call 713-759-1133 to speak to an attorney knowledgeable in insurance matters, property, landlord/tenant law, contracts, disaster assistance and other consumer issues. In addition, the State Bar of Texas has set up a legal hotline at http://www.hba.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/State-Bar-Disaster-Hotline.pdf.
Thanks to the Meyerland Community Improvement Association, FEMA is allowed to locate their Disaster Recovery Center on their property (4999 West Bellfort — adjacent to the Meyer Branch Library). This is a one-stop shop for affected residents to connect with FEMA staff, as well as City and non-governmental agencies. The Center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., 7 days per week until further notice.
As of date, storm debris pickup is underway and all Solid Waste Dept. services (including trash, recycling, yard waste, and junk waste unrelated to the storm events) have resumed their normal schedules. The District K office will continue to monitor the areas within District K that were impacted the most for additional heavy trash collection.
