Staff report
Hays County citizens who sustained losses during the Memorial Day weekend flood of the Blanco River are now eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance after a Presidential disaster declaration was signed Friday.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to covered uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the disaster.
Persons in Hays County can register for assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov or through the City of San Marcos Website at www.sanmarcost.gov/smtxfloodfema
According to a release from Hays County Saturday, a preliminary estimate of damage to infrastructure is over $32.7 million countywide. That includes roads, bridges, parks, government buildings and debris removal.
More than 1,200 homes have been evaluated as having some damage, with 209 homes destroyed. Officials believe the numbers are expected to increase.
Immediate needs, such as shelter, food and cleaning supplies, continue to be available locally in San Marcos and Wimberley. Residents who have immediate needs can call the Hays County hotline at 512-754-2275. Residents are also asked to visit one of the assistance centers.
The Community Center in Wimberley will be open until 8 p.m. Saturday with help from local charities, along with Hays County and state offices such as DPS, which will help replace driver’s licenses lost in the storm.
The Disaster Resource Center will relocate to St. John’s Catholic Church at 624 E. Hopkins Street in San Marcos Sunday and Monday.
Citizens can also go to a Victim Resource Center at 206 C.M. Allen Parkway in San Marcos to pick up needed items or to Cypress Creek Church at 211 Stillwater in Wimberley.
Hays County and the City of San Marcos continue to coordinate in moving supplies to Wimberley as needed as there’s no large storage facility in the area. Concerns are supplies left outside could be damaged by bad weather.
Those wishing to donate relief supplies are asked to drop them off at 200 Springtown Way in San Marcos between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Sunday.
Additional information about countywide assistance, health and safety information, etc., is posted at www.sanmarcostx.gov/smtxflood. This includes information for citizens of Wimberley and the unincorporated areas of Hays County, not just City of San Marcos. Emergency information is posted at www.haysinformed.com.
Hays County continues to urge residents not to burn piles of debris as the search and rescue effort is ongoing.
