WHAT TO DO IF YOU'VE BEEN AFFECTED BY FLOODING - UPDATED 9/17/2010

IF YOU HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY FLOODING AND HAVE NOT HAD A DISASTER ASSESSMENT TEAM VISIT YOUR HOME:


Please send the following information to skennedy@centex.redcross.org:

First and Last Name

Street Address

City, State and Zip

Phone Number

We will call these individuals to schedule an appointment to meet with a caseworker at our Client Assistance Site, once damage assessment for your address has been completed.  Please note that we are only able to offer assistance to those with homes classified as having Major Damage or Destroyed at this time.  We are not able to offer assistance to owners of  non-residential structures.  Thank you for your patience as we respond to this disaster within our community.  If you have any questions, please call our offices at (512) 928-4271 or 1-800-928-4271.

Additional Resources: 

Williamson County - http://www.wilco.org

RETURNING HOME AFTER A FLOOD

AM I ELIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE?
Assistance eligibility is based on Damage Assessment guidelines set forth by the American Red Cross and other local and federal agencies and is based on water levels reached inside the single family dwelling, apartment or mobile home, in addition to other considerations.  Currently we are assisting those whose homes have been classified as Major Damage or Destroyed.  Unfortunately, we do not have the financial resources to offer assistance to all homes affected by flooding at this time.  


Single Family Home or Apartment 

• Major Damage -   36 to 60 inches of water in the living area of the dwelling
• Destroyed - 60 inches or more of water in the living area of the dwelling

Mobile Home

•  Major Damage -   24 to 48 inches of water in the living area of the dwelling
• Destroyed - 48 inches or more of water in the living area of the dwelling

The American Red Cross of Central Texas has closed all shelters in Central Texas. Governor Rick Perry has issued a disaster proclamation for Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties in Central Texas.  We are currently working with our volunteers to assess the damages left behind by Hermine. Once damage assessment is complete, the ARC national office will make a decision on what type of aid we will be able to extend based on the damages. Please note, it may take up two weeks for the Red Cross and other agencies to thoroughly assess the damage cause by this flood.

Please read and follow our guide to RETURNING HOME AFTER A FLOOD to begin the cleanup process. Here are some additional tips to help you document the damage: 

• Take good pictures of all damages, especially water marks showing how high the water line rose. Document interior damage as well as exterior.
• Keep receipts for every single expenditure. That way you will have as many options as possible for reimbursement through insurance and government programs.
• Refer to the Williamson County website for additional guidance:  www.wilco.org
• For Agricultural Damage:  Craig Enhlemann, USDA at 512.863.8576

 Williamson County Government Resources for Hermine Victims 

Williamson County (all residents) – Williamson County Landfill has waived or reduced fees to help flood victims during cleanup.  More information is available: http://wilco.org/CountyDepartments/PublicInformationOffice/NewsandAnnouncements/tabid/714/EntryID/663/language/en-US/Default.aspx.

Williamson County Landfill is off of FM 1660, at 600 Landfill Rd, Hutto, TX  78634.  You can reach them for more information at 512-846-2756 or 512-759-8881.

Cedar Park – Residents should report damage to Emergency Management Coordinator James Mallinger at james.mallinger@cedarparktx.us. 

Georgetown – Residents should report damage to inspection@georgetown.org or 512-930-2550.  Residents can also request help with clean up from Emergency Management Coordinator Kevin Stofle at kevin.stofle@georgetown.org. 

Leander – Residents should report damage to Public Works at 512-259-2640 

Unincorporated Areas of Williamson County – Residents should report damage to county office of Emergency Management at flood@wilco.org or 512-943-3747.  Residents may need permits to rebuild earthworks, roads, houses, or outbuildings, and should contact the county Floodplain Administrator at 512-943-3620.

If you would like to donate to this and future relief efforts, please visit our DONATE page.

RED CROSS SHELTERING IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY DUE TO FLOODING

The American Red Cross of Central Texas opened three shelters in Williamson County after heavy rainfall forced the evacuation of some residents in that county beginning yesterday evening. The Georgetown shelter, located at 1003 North Austin Blvd, will remain open through the night. The Round Rock shelter, located at the Clay Madsen Center, has closed as of this afternoon. The shelter that had been opened in the early morning hours in Florence has been closed, and is on standby to be reopened this evening.

American Red Cross employees and volunteers  have worked around the clock to staff the three shelters since  their opening yesterday evening, with relief volunteers arriving during the day so that the night shift could get some much needed rest.  Dedicated employees and volunteers in emergency services and disaster response often work very long hours, particularly during the initial phase of the response, in order to make sure our clients get the services they need.  

Red Cross provided breakfast, lunch, snacks, blankets and other personal items that will help people get through this difficult time as they await news on the condition of their homes. All of these services are provided free of charge through the generosity and monetary donations of Central Texans.  You can make a donation to help us be prepared for the next disaster by visiting our website at www.centex.redcross.org.

LONG WEEK AT YOUR AMERICAN RED CROSS OF CENTRAL TEXAS

It has been a very long week for your American Red Cross! All week Jose Dominguez, Thad Rosenfeld, and Lane Pearson, have been dealing with the logistics and actual deployment of six volunteers to San Antonio, Laredo and Harlingen. In the meantime Emergency Services responded to and assisted victims of three house fires. We continue to offer financial and other assistance to four to six military families every day.

Your local Red Cross is also preparing for Mass Care Boot Camp this Saturday! It will give people the opportunity to fulfill all the prerequisites to becoming a shelter manager in one day. All week we have also been making sure that Sunday’s Volunteer Recognition at the Dell Diamond will go on without a hitch. It is an opportunity for us to say a big THANK YOU to all the people that make what we do possible.

It never ceases to amazes me the great work that my fellow Red Crossers do every day!

LOCAL VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE HELP NATIONWIDE

From Bill Dorman, Volunteer:

Spring is often a busy time of year for the American Red Cross in Disaster Relief, and this year has been no exception.  Many volunteers assist in operations in other parts of the country in addition to their work in their own chapter.  I went to New Jersey in March when it flooded there and have just returned from Mississippi, which suffered from the same storms that recently hit Nashville and Memphis.  

During large disasters, such as the ones that are currently affecting the Southern Gulf Coast states as well as parts of the Midwest, the local chapter initiates the response and then volunteers from other parts of the country come and help.  In Mississippi, I worked with Red Crossers from all over the country, from Vermont to California and Pascagoula on the Gulf Coast to Corinth in the far northeastern part of the state which is where I was.  

We concentrate on sheltering, feeding, and damage assessment to start with, and then provide family services through caseworkers, health and mental health professionals.  In addition to those who work directly with the people affected, there are support jobs ranging from driving a truck to acting as Public Information Officer to setting up and maintaining computer systems, managing staffing and data entry.

I have been deployed to other chapters a number of times since I became a volunteer during Hurricane Katrina.  In Mississippi, I was the Shelter Manager in a large arena that is usually the setting for 4H shows and country music concerts.  I worked closely with the on-site Chapter CEO and Emergency Services Director and assisted them as a liaison to local community officials, charities and the media. 

This week I opened the newspaper and found to my surprise that an interview I had given at the shelter was the lead story on the front page.  I’ve been a Shelter Manager before, but it was an interesting experience to sit in a room with the Mayor, Police Chief, Emergency Management Director and most of the local charity leads and represent the American Red Cross.  This was in addition to the equally important job of helping some of our younger clients color between the lines in the coloring books we had gotten for them.  

Disaster Relief, whether for a single family fire or a Category 5 hurricane, is stressful, confusing and often chaotic work.  Many of us, however, find it to be one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done.  The hours are long, but there is often a great sense of camaraderie.  You might work all day trying to figure out where dinner is coming from, or have a few hours off to drive across the state line into Tennessee and visit the civil war battlefield at Shiloh.  And who knew that one of the great culinary delights of the world was a slugburger at the lunch counter of the 150-year -old pharmacy in Corinth, Mississippi?

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please contact Thad Rosenfeld, Community Resources Director at 512.929.1277. The efforts of our volunteers and staff and the generous donations of the American public are what make this work possible.