Williamson County has concluded preliminary damage assessments of structures affected by the March 21 tornadoes.
Approximately 430 structures were affected in Williamson County’s unincorporated areas and cities outside the city limits of Round Rock. This number is continually updated, and property owners are encouraged to report their damage to http://www.damage.tdem.texas.gov.
In order to assist these families in need, Williamson County’s Office of Emergency Management with partners Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) and American Red Cross opened up a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) for three days this past week. Approximately 110 families were assisted through the MARC with things such as food, clothing, documentation recovery, debris removal and more. Although the MARC is closed, residents can still receive assistance by calling ADRN’s Disaster Survivor Hotline at 512-806-0800 or American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767, option 4.
On Wednesday and Thursday, representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) came to assess the damage in Williamson County for a possible federal disaster declaration. The process reportedly could take weeks.
The SBA provides lowinterest disaster loans to help homeowners and businesses recover from declared disasters. For more information, go to https://www.sba.gov/fundingprograms/disaster-assistance.
In an area declared a disaster area by the governor, Tax Code Section 11.35 allows a qualified property that is at least 15 percent damaged by a disaster to receive a temporary exemption of a portion of the appraised value of the property. A property owner must apply for the temporary exemption and the deadline for the application is 105 days after the governor declares a disaster area. For more information and to apply go to the Williamson Central Appraisal District website https://www.wcad.org/ temporary-disaster-exemption.
STRESSED OUT?
Natural disasters create stress on families, including children. Anyone wanting crisis counseling should call the Bluebonnet Trails Community Services crisis hotline at 1-800-841-1255.
