FEMA has so far approved $21 million in loans for Houston-area residents affected by recent storms – Houston Public Media

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has so far approved more than $21 million in individual assistance loans for Houston-area residents affected by the region’s recent devastating storms.

FEMA received more than 100,000 applications from residents and businesses seeking funding for rebuilding after the storms, and just over 89,000 were approved. More than 5,000 applicants have applied for a low-interest disaster loan from the Small Business Administration.

Devastating weather events have continued to strike Harris County over the past month.

Hundreds of people in the Houston area have been rescued after widespread storms forced some residents to leave their homes. A deadly derecho struck Houston on May 16, leaving windows of downtown buildings broken and trees scattered throughout the city.

“We are reaching the one-month mark since the catastrophic flooding in our area,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a statement.

On Tuesday, at least one person died during a wave of high winds and rain that swept through Houston.

As of Thursday morning, more than 5,000 CenterPoint customers were still without power.

FEMA offers a Transitional Shelter Assistance Program in Harris County to cover hotel costs for disaster survivors until they find a housing solution. The program has already helped 4,845 people find temporary housing in 201 hotels across the county, Hidalgo said.

“We have worked directly with FEMA to make changes, such as trying to shorten the time it takes for people to receive assistance and ensuring that we have a short-term hotel stay program,” said Hidalgo.

The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance has raised nearly $2 million in donations to help those affected by recent disasters. The alliance was created in 2023 to distribute donations to nonprofits so they can begin helping residents rebuild as quickly as possible, Hidalgo said.