- Jim Wells County emergency officials are being asked to make damages reports to the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
- The reports will help track Tropical Storm Alberto's damage and may secure federal funding.
Jim Wells County is in the recovery phase after Tropical Storm Alberto. Now, the Jim Wells County Emergency Management Coordinator wants people to know it’s time to report damages to the state and federal government.
Texas Governor Greg Abbot issued a disaster declaration on Tuesday, June 18, for the 51 Texas counties associated with Tropical Storm Alberto. The Coastal Bend counties are recording the damage for the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
Right after the storm, city and county officials were driving around town looking for damages to report. Now, it’s up to the residents of these counties affected by the storm.
“This now eliminates a real human going out there and spending hours upon hours of documenting and recording and doing the paperwork,” JWC Emergency management Coordinator Lance Brown said.
Brown said these counties have to meet a nearly $51 million threshold of damage. This will help get funds for any upcoming disasters and it also helps estimate the damages the storm brought.
“It goes straight to the database to the Texas Department of Emergency Management. From there it drops a GPS pinpoint. So the more people we have participating in this the more valuable that this tool is,” Brown said.
He said county and city officials were working together to prepare over the last few years which helped migrate the possible effects from Tropical Storm Alberto.
Brown said county residents also took precautions to limit the damage. However, any damages to private property must be recorded in order for FEMA to step in.
“If we do meet the threshold - FEMA will step in and I’m sure FEMA will be reimbursing the people. Once we get all that information,” Brown said.
Emergency officials said there is no telling how much FEMA will help or who they’ll help, but everything must be reported for the city or county to get funding and prevent future disasters. For more information on how to make the report visit the Jim Wells County Emergency Management Facebook page to call Brow at (361) 227-4812.
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