The ice has mostly melted, but thousands of Dallas-Fort Worth residents have sustained property damage, endured power outages, and dealt with frozen water pipes. Texans will be dealing with the aftermath of this winter storm for a while.
Two questions come to mind: Do you need help? Do you want to help? Here’s our checklist of resources to get you through recovery.
Yes, Federal Help is on The Way
Gov. Greg Abbott requested a Major Disaster Declaration for all 254 Texas counties and President Biden issued a declaration for 77 counties. The declaration paves the way for residents and businesses that sustained losses to begin the process of applying for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The declaration covers much of the Texas population hubs, including Dallas and neighboring counties. Click here to see whether your county is included.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs.
Applying and registering for assistance is a four-step process:
- Take a photo of your damaged home and belongings
- Make a list of damaged or lost items
- If you have insurance, you must file a claim with your insurance company. If you do not have insurance, skip to step 4.
- Apply for assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585. You can also download the FEMA app.
Additional information is available at www.fema.gov.
State officials are asking affected Texans to complete a damage survey at TDEM.Texas.gov/warm to help with the effort.
What About Insurance Claims?
Property and casualty insurers are expected to see insured losses in the billions of dollars, according to the Insurance Council of Texas. The MetroTex Association of Realtors has scheduled a live webinar to address the casualty loss clause of the 1-4 Residential Contract and how it specifically relates to the effects of the winter storm. Register here.
What if I Was Buying a Home?
Some lenders are asking for additional inspections to assess and get repairs on post-storm damage. If you were headed to the closing table on your new home, take heed that the process may be pushed back to allow for a new inspection report and even repairs.
“The buyer must get an inspector out there and get a written report prior to closing,” title expert Lydia Blair of Allegiance Title said of one closing. “They will most likely use the inspector who did the original inspection for this purchase. It isn’t likely the written report will be completed, submitted to the lender, reviewed, and approved before the scheduled closing date. If there is damage, the lender will require repairs to be made prior to closing.”
Now, About Those Electric Bills …
Customers who chose wholesale variable rates per kilowatt-hour are facing significantly higher electric bills. Energy demand prompted wholesale prices to jump from as low as 2 cents per kilowatt-hour to $9 per kilowatt-hour. If you’re on a variable-rate plan and pay online, turn off the auto-pay option on your account. Most Texans pay fixed rates.
The state public utility commission and Gov. Abbott both said Saturday that they are taking steps to assist residents in getting high electric bills. Learn more about plan options here.
How Do I Get or Donate Water?
D-FW residents without water service or consumable water can go to the following locations listed at these stations. NBC5 | WFAA | CBS11
What If I Still Need to Get Warm?
Other Resources
- For a crowdsourced Google document with assistance resources, click here.
- Residents can check here for updates on where to get free firewood, food, water, and warmth.
- For weather information, click here.
Social Media
- Get National Weather Service updates from Facebook here.
- Get updates from Twitter:
- Follow these hashtags: #dfwwx | #txwx | #ctxwx
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