In addition to these, however, we ask for your help in encouraging those in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Harvey to continue to follow the instructions of state, local, and tribal officials, including instructions to shelter in place or evacuate. Please encourage them not to return to evacuated areas until told it is safe to do so.
This is still a dangerous storm; residents and visitors in areas potentially affected by the severe weather should continue to monitor local radio or TV stations for updated emergency information.
We ask that they only call 911 if they have an immediate need for medical attention or evacuation assistance.
August 27, 2017, 9 a.m. Eastern
- FEMA, through its Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) in Denton, Texas, the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) in Washington, D.C., and our liaisons to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, is responding to Tropical Storm Harvey in Texas and Louisiana.
- According to the National Hurricane Center, rainfall amounts of 18 to 30 inches have occurred in the Houston metro area and life-threatening flooding will continue to occur over a large portion of South Central and Southeast, Texas. In addition, several tornadoes have been reported in the Houston area, with damage reported to a subdivision in La Marque in Galveston County.
- As of 5 a.m. EDT, the National Weather Service has the following active warnings and watches:
o A storm surge warning for Port O’Connor to Sargent, Texas
o A tropical storm warning for Port O’Connor to Sargent, Texas
o A Flash Flood Watch for Atascosa, Bastrop, Bexar, Blanco, Caldwell, Comal, De Witt, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hays, Karnes, Kendall, Lavaca, Lee, Travis, Williamson, and Wilson counties.
o Flooding would mainly impact low lying areas, creeks, streams, and rivers and any other flood prone areas.
- Shelters are open across the affected and surrounding areas. Download the FEMA mobile app (available in English and Spanish) for registration information, directions to open shelters, a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, disaster survival tips, and weather alerts from the National Weather Service. The app also enables users to receive push notifications reminding them to take important steps to prepare their homes and families for disasters.
- If you evacuated and have not yet returned to your home, call your insurance company. To file a flood insurance claim under the National Flood Insurance Program, contact your insurance agent immediately. You can also call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) – select option 2 – to learn more about your policy, and be directed to the appropriate claims resource.
- While immediate lifesaving and life sustaining operations are the priority for FEMA and our partners, residents and business owners in designated counties who sustained disaster related damage due to Tropical Storm Harvey, and are able to do so, can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
- You may wait to register for FEMA assistance until you know whether your home is damaged. You have 60 days after a declaration to register for FEMA disaster assistance.
- Registering online is the quickest way to register for FEMA assistance since the event will last several days and the full scope of damages may not be evident until the storm has passed. If you do not have access to the internet you may register by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY). If you use 711 relay or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362 directly. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
- FEMA does not provide food assistance, including food lost due to power outages. Voluntary organizations in the disaster area may be able to help with your food needs. If you have a food-related need, dial 2-1-1 for a referral to an organization that can assist.
- Family and friends of those in the affected areas are urged to check social network sites like Facebook or Twitter for information about your loved ones, or use the American Red Cross’s Safe and Well program to let family members know they are safe, or looking for loved ones.
Declarations
- On August 25, 2017, President Trump declared an expedited Major Disaster for the state of Texas because of the storm. This declaration makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bee, Goliad, Kleberg, Nueces, San Patricio, and Refugio counties.
- Federal funding is also available to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, in Bee, Goliad, Kleberg, Nueces, San Patricio, and Refugio counties, and hazard mitigation statewide.
FEMA Actions
- Urban Search & Rescue task forces with the National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) System, deployed to Texas to support the state and tribes as needed and requested. Each of these teams has swift water rescue capabilities.
o Two Task Forces conducting operations in south Texas
o Four Task Forces conducting operations in south Texas
o Four Task forces staged in San Antonio
o Four Task forces staged in Fort Worth
o One Incident Support Team in College Station
- FEMA established Incident Support Bases (ISB) near Seguin, Texas and Camp Beauregard, Louisiana to pre-position supplies including water, meals, blankets and other resources closer to potentially affected areas, should they be needed and requested by the state. State, local, and tribal officials are responsible for distributing supplies to the community.
o As of this morning, the following are at the ISBs and staging areas in Texas and Louisiana and are available to the state if needed:
- 490,000 liters of water,
- 524,000 meals
- 20,500 tarps,
- and 60 generators
- FEMA activated the National Emergency Medical Services contract for 100 ambulances and 15 air ambulances for advanced and basic life support and are staged in San Antonio, Texas.
- Mobile Emergency Response Support (MERS) personnel and equipment are on the ground in Texas and Louisiana to support the states with secure and non-secure voice, video and information services for emergency response communications needs.
- FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams are in place at the Texas and Louisiana state emergency operations centers in Austin, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to support requests for federal assistance. Additional teams continue to deploy as the response continues.
- FEMA’s National Business Emergency Operations Center is activated to facilitate coordination between government and private sector organizations as the community responds to Tropical Storm Harvey.
- The National Flood Insurance Program has General Adjusters situated in Texas and Louisiana to support initial damage assessments and assist with positioning adjuster resources following the event. The Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration leadership is in contact with senior insurance officials in Texas and Louisiana.
- More than 1,200 FEMA employees are deployed in support of Tropical Storm Harvey response.
Federal Family Actions
- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price today declared a public health emergency in Texas in response to Tropical Storm Harvey to provide greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs. HHS also has more than 300 medical professionals deployed from the National Disaster Medical System and U.S. Public Health Service, and an additional 600 professionals on alert to provide medical care.
- To report a missing child, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-866-908-9570. Anyone who finds an unaccompanied child who may have been separated from their parents or caregivers should contact the local police, or enter basic information and/or a photo into the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Unaccompanied Minors Registry or call 1-866-908-9570.
- The American Red Cross (ARC) has mobilized a massive relief effort to provide shelter, food and comfort. More than 1,500 people took refuge Friday night in 25 Red Cross and community shelters. More than 40 additional shelters are on standby in Texas and surrounding areas, if needed. Several hundred Red Cross volunteers from across the country are on the ground now to support shelter operations.
- The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is providing rescue assistance to those in need. USCG is using shallow-draft vessels to provide search and rescue assistance in flooded areas, while Coast Guard aircrews conduct damage assessment overflights and search and rescue patrols.
- The United States Geological Survey Texas Water Science Center deployed storm surge sensors in as many as 20 locations between the San Luis Pass and Corpus Christi.
- The Civil Air Patrol is providing aircraft, vehicles, and personnel to accomplish aerial/ground imaging, damage assessments, and transportation of personnel and light cargo.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting flood-fighting activities such as stockpiling and issuing flood-fighting materials (sandbags and materials/fabrics that keep soil in place) to local government entities in an effort to mitigate the effects of flooding in the affected areas.
Safety
- Remember, follow instructions from state, local, and tribal officials. If told to shelter in place or evacuate, do so immediately. Do not return to evacuated areas until told it is safe to do so.
- If you are in a high-rise building and need to shelter in place, go to first- or second -floor hallways or interior rooms. You want to stay on floors above floodwater or storm surge, but do not go to the highest floors due to wind impacts.
- Storm surge is often the greatest threat to life and property from a tropical storm. It poses a significant threat for drowning and can occur before, during, or after the center of a storm passes through an area. Storm surge can sometimes cut off evacuation routes, so do not delay leaving if an evacuation is ordered for your area.
- There is the potential for flooding with this storm. Driving through a flooded area can be extremely hazardous, and almost half of all flash flood deaths happen in vehicles. When in your vehicle, look out for flooding in low-lying areas, at bridges, and at highway dips. As little as six inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle.
- If you encounter floodwaters, remember: Turn around, don’t drown.
- Tornadoes have already been associated with this storm. If you are under a tornado warning, seek shelter immediately in the center of a small interior room (closet, interior hallway) on the lowest level of a sturdy building. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.
- When it is safe to do so, check on your neighbors who may require assistance such as infants, children, older adults, people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. Individual community members are the first line of response following a storm.
- Get to know the terms that are used to identify severe weather and discuss with your family what to do if a watch or warning is issued.
For a tropical storm:
o A Tropical Storm Watch is issued when tropical cyclone containing winds of at least 39 mph or higher poses a possible threat, generally within 48 hours.
o A Tropical Storm Warning is issued when sustained winds of 39 mph or higher associated with a tropical cyclone are expected in 36 hours or less.
For inland flooding:
o A Flash Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flash flooding.
o A Flash Flood Warning is issued when flash flooding is imminent or occurring.
o A Flash Flood Emergency is issued when severe threat to human life and catastrophic damage from a flash flood is imminent or ongoing.
For coastal flooding:
o A Coastal Flood Watch is issued when moderate to major coastal flooding is possible.
o A Coastal Flood Warning is issued when moderate to major coastal flooding is occurring or imminent.
o A Coastal Flood Advisory is issued when minor or nuisance coastal flooding is occurring or imminent.
Preparedness
- Be familiar with evacuation routes, have a family communications plan, keep a battery-powered radio handy, and have a plan for pets. Visit www.ready.gov or www.listo.gov to learn these and other preparedness tips for tropical storms.
- Know your evacuation zone and be sure to follow the direction of state, local, and tribal officials if an evacuation is ordered for your area.
- Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to follow local public safety authority direction and to share safety messaging with employees in order to reduce risk.
- If you have a National Flood Insurance Program policy, you may be eligible for reimbursement of actions taken to protect your property. Call your insurance agent to find out more.
- Make sure to charge your phone and other electronic devices, as you may lose power for extended periods. A car charger is a handy backup to have so you don’t lose your ability to connect with family, friends and neighbors.
o Beware of battery drainers, such as games or videos. Using your phone as a personal hotspot for your computer also drains its battery in a hurry. Be smart about using your phone for non-necessities.
Additional actions residents in the storm’s path can take now
- If you live in the storm’s path, a couple of additional things you can do now can save yourself worry later.
o Take pictures of your property. Having this documentation now will help you with insurance and other inspectors later.
- First, take a picture of each room in your house.
- Get exterior shots of your front and back yards, plus any other buildings on your property.
- Photograph big-ticket items like large-screen TVs.
o Save these to a secure site, send them to a trusted friend or relative, or email them to yourself.
o Scan your important documents to make your recovery much easier and faster.
- Scan or take a picture of your lease or deed, vehicle titles, insurance policies, passport, driver’s license and other important papers.
- Again, save these to a secure site, send them to a trusted friend or family member, or email to yourself.