Richardson is opening a city disaster recovery center to help navigate federal aid applications and offer other services following last week’s winter storms.
Those services will include assistance in completing the forms needed to apply for disaster recovery assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Information on local resources for food and living assistance not covered by FEMA or the SBA will also be provided.
The city will help both business owners and residents complete damage reports and applications for the FEMA aid, assistant city manager Don Magner said during Monday’s city council meeting.
Additionally, residents and business owners with any storm damage are being asked to complete a damage assessment survey. The survey will help illustrate the extent of the damage and will allow Texas to make a case for additional federal assistance, he said.
The amount of aid available to individual businesses and residents will depend on insurance coverage and deductibles and other factors. FEMA will also likely send out an inspector at some point to document any damage, Magner said.
Types of available assistance may include financial aid for temporary lodging and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs designed to help residents and business owners recover.
Richardson’s center is scheduled to be open from Tues., Feb. 23 through Sat., Feb. 27. The city will then determine whether to continue the service, Magner said.
Center hours and locations
Richardson Civic Center (Parks Meeting Rooms), 411 W. Arapaho Road.
Hours: 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
Phone: 972-744-0900
Richardson Public Library (Next to the Richardson Civic Center), 900 Civic Center Drive
Hours: 3 p.m.- 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
Phone: 972-744-4350
Residents are asked to provide the following information:
- A current phone number
- Their address at the time of the disaster and the address where they are now staying
- Social Security number
- A general list of damage and losses
- If insured, the insurance policy number, or the agent and company name
- Photos of damage
Water bills
The city plans to offer a “drip allowance” on water bills due to requests to leave faucets dripping during the storm. Based on city calculations, residents should receive a credit of about $15 on their March water bill. The city is also attempting to offer credits for water lost due to pipes that burst.
Additional information is available on the city’s website.
