The City of Rowlett is making a public appeal in an effort to bring federal relief to victims of last month's deadly tornadoes.
In a written update, the city said it is unlikely to receive federal funding assistance through a presidential disaster declaration. However, there may be hope if affected residents complete an online damage survey, the update said.
There are three separate types of assistance provided by the Federal government in times of disaster:
Individual Assistance:
Individual assistance can help individual property owners who are uninsured or under-insured.
Though it is highly unlikely Rowlett alone will have enough properties to meet federal standards for individual assistance, the city asks for anyone in the affected area to take an online damage survey.
The report noted if other effected communities completed the survey, it could help reach the threshold needed for the designation.
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Public Assistance:
Public assistance is used to help cities and counties recover a portion of the costs associated with the disaster. Funding could help with infrastructure repairs or debris removal. The city said the estimated cleanup cost could reach as much as $7 million.
Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Loans:
Loans offer assistance to small businesses, homeowners, and renters. The threshold needed to activate the program is at least 25 homes and/or businesses that have at least 40 percent uninsured property damage.
Property owners should know the loans require an acceptable credit history and the ability to repay the loan.
