Harris Co. urges residents to apply for FEMA

HOUSTON (FOX 26) – If you flooded during Tropical Storm Imelda, you can now apply for FEMA assistance.

Harris county Is alerting its residents on how to apply for the assistance after an estimated 2,615 homes and 66 businesses flooded during tropical storm Imelda. 

In Huffman it’s going to take a lot of work to make homes livable again after flood waters from Luce Bayou devastated homes in the Lochshire Subdivision.

“Every home in the neighborhood looks like this,” said one contractor gutting out the walls and floors of a home on Afton Way.

Photos snapped by the homeowner, LaVon Liotta, show floodwaters reached three feet up the walls of the home after Imelda struck southeast Texas. The house took on about a foot of water inside.

“We’re staying upstairs with no kitchen,” said Liotta.

Liotta says she is beginning again after finishing up repairs from Hurricane Harvey’s flooding just weeks ago.

“Now it’s being torn out again,” said Liotta.

Neighbors captured footage of floodwaters halfway up the sides of some homes in the neighborhood on Saturday, September 21 as runoff from Imelda’s rainfall caused the bayou to continue rising after the rain stopped.

“We’re gonna call FEMA now since it’s been declared,” said Liotta.

Harris County is one of six counties where Imelda victims can now apply for federal disaster assistance—along with Chambers, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, and Orange Counties—after President Trump made a federal disaster declaration Friday.

FEMA is providing Individual assistance up to $35,500 per household.

If you are a resident of one of the six counties impacted by Imelda flooding and you want to see if you qualify for FEMA assistance, call 1-800-621-FEMA.

On Farmcreek Drive water went high enough to flood homes on the highest hill.

“The water was up to the mailbox,” said Linda Richardson whose home flooded.

Richardson is already getting help with repairs from volunteers out of Indiana—a part of the nonprofit Christian Aid Ministries. 

“They’re absolutely wonderful,” said Richardson.

Richardson says she’s been donating to the charity instead of getting flood insurance after neither FEMA nor insurance helped with repairs from Harvey’s flooding.

“There’s problems with FEMA,” said Richardson.