FIRST
14 - VICTORIA ADVOCATE
72 H O U R S
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014
GOING HOME AFTER DISASTER Don’t wait until returning from evacuation to check your insurance BY BIANCA R. MONTES
BMONTES@VICAD.COM
WHAT TO BRING BACK AFTER AN EVACUATION ■ Insurance
documents for home, automobile and medical, including policy numbers ■ Bank and financial documents ■ Medical records ■ School records ■ Identification ■ Resumes ■ Water ■ Cash
Returning home after being evacuated can be daunting – you never know what you lost or what you’ll find. Emergency Management Coordinator Jeb Lacey said having your insurance in order before disaster strikes is the first step in restoring your life. Russell Janecka, agent and owner of Janecka Insurance Agency, said homeowners should stand back and take an objective view of their home and try to anticipate damage a disaster can cause. “Worst case can include a tornado in the inland area or a storm surge along the coast,” he said in an email. “In both instances, their entire home is gone with little evidence of what was there before. On the lighter yet still serious end, the home can be damaged by wind, tree fall, rain or flooding.” Insurance policies, he said, are set up to indemnify an insured – to recover the monetary value of what they lost. Homeowner’s policies include wind, hail and hurricane coverage, usually with a high deductible. Water damage from a flood can only be covered through a flood insurance policy, and Janecka said homeowners should review their policy and needs with their agent.
If you were evacuated from the city, Lacey said it’s imperative to first check with authorities if it’s safe to return. The city, he said, will communicate with local media and through its emergency notification hotline to push out information. “Individuals shouldn’t make their own decisions on returning if an evacuation is ordered,” he said. The county judge and mayor are both designated to lift and order evacuations. However, it’s important to understand that a lifted evacuation does not mean everything is normal back at home, Lacey said. “Just because elected leadership has determined that the primary threat has ended does not indicate (the area) is habitable,” he said, adding infrastructure, fuel resources and public service accessibility may not be readily available. “We need time to figure out what went wrong, restore the most basic stuff and then start assessing how to put lives back together.” The city may have available assistance after evacuation, Lacey said, but the amount of services would greatly be reduced. If the area is declared as a federal disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency may provide assistance.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR DISASTER HELP?
If you live in a disaster area declared by the president and need disaster help, apply for assistance at disasterassistance.gov, and the screens will prompt you through the process. You can also register by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or 800-462-7585 for the hearing impaired.
WHAT DO I NEED TO APPLY?
■ Social Security number ■ Current and predisaster address ■ A telephone number where you can be reached ■ Insurance information ■ Total household annual income ■ A routing and account number from your bank
(only necessary if you want to have disaster assistance funds transferred directly into your bank account) ■ A description of your losses caused by the disaster
SOURCE: FEMA.GOV
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION
Receive emergency notifications from Victoria County at alertregistration.com/victoriatx. To ensure you’re reached in the event of an emergency and have evacuated from your home, include your cellphone and a secondary number.
NONPROFITS READY TO HELP Agencies prepare year-round, share resources for disaster-ridden residents BY JESSICA PRIEST JPRIEST@VICAD.COM
DONATE
American Red Cross: Redcross.org/donate or text message 90999. Texting the number adds $10 to your phone bill. Salvation Army: Donate.salvationarmyusa.org. To donate clothing, furniture or household items, call 800-728-7825.
Agencies such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and FEMA vow to step up when the going gets tough in the Crossroads. The American Red Cross provides shelters throughout the state, three meals a day and is able to replace prescriptions by working with area pharmacies if a hurricane sweeps through the Lone Star State, said Cameron Ballantyne, regional public relations officer for the American Red Cross of the Texas Gulf Coast, which encompasses 51 counties. Beds in the shelters, which are separated based on gender, will be about
the size of a camping cot, so it’s not spacious enough to bring everything but the kitchen sink. Each evacuee who shelters with the American Red Cross will be given a case worker, who provides vouchers for food and clothing, as well as cleaning supplies in the aftermath. Evacuees are only required to give their name and address. If they disclose they have a criminal history, law enforcement is always on hand to either relocate or supervise them. Only certified service animals are allowed inside shelters, he said. There were 66 volunteers as of May 6 in the Crossroads chapter, which covers Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Jackson, Lavaca and Victoria coun-
ties, Ballantyne said. The Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, meanwhile, requires the governor to request the President declare there has been a disaster. The governor in his request to the President, must estimate the severity of the damage and impact it will have on the private and public sector, among other things. Once it’s established, FEMA can respond to protect lives and property as well as meet basic human needs after the disaster. The responses depend on the situation and its severity, according to its website. The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army share resources among their various branches. Glenn
Ray Haynes, Salvation Army’s intake manager in Victoria, said they’ll drive within a 200-mile radius in Canteens or mobile feeding units. He was working in May on getting a canteen in tip-top shape to help neighbors in Oklahoma by testing the stove, air conditioner, water and butane tank. They serve hot meals from the Canteen. Also available are 29 beds at its headquarters, 1306 N. Louis St., which can be used in an emergency. There’s a thrift store next door, where furniture is sold or donated to a family in need. “We do all we can. That's our motto at The Salvation Army: Doing the most good,” Haynes said.