Just days before the six-month anniversary of the devastating hurricane, the Texas House Appropriations Subcommittee on Disaster Impact and Recovery met in Victoria, where mayors and county leaders shared lists of projects needed to be undertaken so communities would be protected from future storms.
Many of the government leaders who came from communities spanning from Fulton to Victoria said they didn't have a place for residents or first responders to take shelter.
Finding a way to get Texans back into damaged homes was also a priority, while some officials worried that missed deadlines or unchecked boxes could stop small cities and rural counties from getting critical financial help from the federal government.
"I'm really scared for a lot of our communities along the coast that are already in the hole," said State Rep. Armando Walle, who represents part of Harris County.
Walle was among other lawmakers and Coastal Texas officials who brought up another looming concern: whether communities hurt by Harvey would be ready to take on another hurricane season, which starts June 1.
Creating an agency to help local governments through the recovery process, reviewing rules on homeowners insurance and boosting funding to local emergency management departments were among requests from local officials.
Refugio County Judge Robert Blaschke said his community could have easily gone bankrupt in the hurricane's aftermath. Refugio, a rural county of 7,400 residents, was already fragile before Harvey.
The county largely relies on volatile oil field jobs and was forced to lay off nearly 20 government employees before the storm, the county judge said.
Shortly after the hurricane struck, the county estimated public agencies, including towns and schools, sustained a total of $200 million in damage, said Blaschke. That figure towers over the county's $2.3-million reserve fund.
Local governments can ask FEMA for help to rebuild, but FEMA usually covers 75 percent of costs and requires local governments to come up with the rest - something Refugio County can't afford.
"We must be reminded that rural Texas is at the table, too," said Blaschke.
In Fulton, an Aransas County beach town just a couple miles north of where Harvey made landfall, temporary housing for people who lost their homes still hasn't arrived, Mayor Jimmy Kendrick told lawmakers. He's holding onto hope that efforts to rebuild permanent housing will be more successful.
"All it takes is one more hurricane, and Fulton, Texas, will be destroyed again," said Kendrick.
About 500 students have yet to return to school, and businesses in the community are struggling to find employees, the mayor said. People who decided to stay in the town are still battling with FEMA or the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association to repair homes.
"When they give you 40 cents on the dollar, you got a problem - and that's what you're seeing," said Kendrick, who urged lawmakers to examine the insurance agency.
———
©2018 Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas)
Visit Victoria Advocate (Victoria, Texas) at www.victoriaadvocate.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agenc
