HEIDENHEIMER, Texas — Weeks after Central Texas was hammered by tornadoes and severe storms in May 2024, many residents who were affected by the severe weather are still waiting on disaster relief money from FEMA.
Heidenheimer resident Jeramy Snowden lost power for several days after the storm, as well as having windows broken and has had mold growing in his home. He tells 6 News he filed an application for FEMA assistance, and had an inspector report his house is unlivable.
Snowden said he was told he would be reimbursed within 7 to 10 days, but almost a month later, he still has no funding. Snowden said he has contacted FEMA, who told him they rely on the State to distribute that money.
Snowden says he has tried to contact the State and says the phone just rings. He's been hung up on, waited on hold for hours and is now left searching for more answers as to where the money is. This is the case for several families across the state.
"There is a lot of disaster going on in Texas," Snowden said. "There has to be a way to manage the funds to get up to the residents to get life rebuilt. We're still stuck on day one of the tornado. The only thing different is we have power and we're a lot broker now."
Snowden tells 6 News he is frustrated with political leaders.
"I haven't seen our governor down here," Snowden said. "I've seen him at George Strait concerts. I've seen him talking about a border wall. I haven't seen him address the fact that we need help in Texas."
6 News reached out to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) for answers.
"HHSC is working diligently to distribute funds to FEMA approved disaster survivors," Thomas Vazquez, Assistant Press Officer for Texas Health and Human Services told 6 News in a statement. "While we are answering calls as quickly and efficiently as we can, wait times may be higher than usual as our staff handles the increased volume of calls. FEMA has agreed to answer HHSC inquiries on their hotline while we expand our hotline capacity."
Vazquez said those with questions about their request can contact FEMA by phone at 1-800-621-3362, online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by email at AskIA@FEMA.DHS.GOV.
Vazquez said people can also contact HHSC Other Needs Assistance by phone at 1-800-582-5233, by email at DisasterAssistance@hhsc.state.tx.us or by mail at HHSC Disaster Assistance MC Y-950, P.O. Box 149030, Austin, TX 78714.
According to Vazquez, the general timeline for people to receive a payment after approval is 10 days. He said the State typically distributes money through direct deposit or by mailed check.
Vazquez said direct deposits are sent to the bank account provided by applicants when they registered for assistance, and mailed checks will go to the mailing address on file in their FEMA application.
For general disaster assistance information, Vazquez encourages residents to visit HHSC's Receiving Disaster Assistance website, where they can find more information on what assistance is available, how to apply and qualification guidelines.
FEMA also sent 6 News a statement, saying:
"To date, FEMA has received more than 171,000 applications for assistance and is processing eligible payments as quickly as possible. Other Needs Assistance (ONA) payments for DR-4781-TX are being paid by the State of Texas’s Department of Health and Human Services (TX HHSC). This includes Serious Needs Assistance, which is a one-time $750 payment to help individuals pay for essential items like food, water, baby formula, medication and other emergency supplies.
In this joint operation, the State processes ONA using the same eligibility requirements as FEMA, and the payments are disbursed by TX HHSC. Inquiries about this process can be directed to TX HHSC at PressOffice@hhs.texas.gov."
6 News will continue to follow this story as it develops.
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