TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE

Community Development & Revitalization

CDBG-DR

"We work to rebuild communities, to put Texans back

in their homes, and to help businesses recover

after the trauma of disaster."

George P. Bush, Commissioner

Friday, June 14, 2019

NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS:

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

2019 HURRICANE OUTLOOK WEBINAR

Commissioner George P. Bush hosted a webinar with Dr. Gerry Bell (NOAA Climate Prediction Center), Barry Goldsmith (National Weather Service) and FEMA Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator Sandra Eslinger in June to give local, state, and federal government partners along the Texas Coast an idea of what the 2019 hurricane season will look like, and what it could mean for our communities. 

 

NOAA predicts what they call a  near-normal season , which may sound good, but that still means that there WILL be storms with the potential to hit U.S. coasts. Forecasters expect “a likely range of 9-15 named storms, of which 4-8 are expected to become hurricanes and 2-4 of those hurricanes are expected to become major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.” Remember, it only takes one to devastate a community. 

 

You can view the full webina r by clicking the image below.

IT SHOULDN'T TAKE A SECOND ACT OF CONGRESS TO GET MITIGATION FUNDS

As the 2019 Hurricane Season begins, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush is once again calling on acting White House chief of staff and current Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director, Mick Mulvaney, to lift the logjam obstructing $4.3 billion in mitigation funds owed to Texas. In a second letter to Mulvaney, Bush expresses frustration at the slow pace of rule approval and the need for the funds to be released immediately.

"The 2019 hurricane season is upon us, and Texans are still no more protected than they were before Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017," said Commissioner Bush. "We are spending billions to rebuild communities, and yet have not received the rules to protect that investment. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz worked with President Trump on legislation to require the release of the rules within 90 days, but simply put… it shouldn’t take a second act of Congress. Congress acted in February 2018 to appropriate these funds, and now we need to publish reasonable rules that facilitate effective mitigation.”

JUNE IS PET PREPAREDNESS MONTH

This June, in observance of National Pet Preparedness Day Month, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush is urging Texans to plan for the whole family, including pets, when preparing for severe weather. 

 

“Hurricane Harvey devastated communities and left thousands of pets in need of rescue,” said Commissioner Bush. “When severe weather is in the forecast, make sure your pets are prepared by creating an emergency kit. Include items such as adoption information papers, collars and leashes, medicine, and pictures of you and your pet together. Remember, many temporary evacuation shelters don’t allow pets, so make sure you have a plan in place for your whole family.”

HARVEY RECOVERY HOUSING PROGRAMS

(EXCLUDING HOUSTON/HARRIS COUNTY)

HARVEY RECOVERY COMMUNITY PROJECTS

(EXCLUDING HOUSTON/HARRIS COUNTY)

HARVEY RECOVERY COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROJECTS

(EXCLUDING HOUSTON/HARRIS COUNTY)

LOCAL INPUT REQUESTED: FILL OUT OUR MITIGATION SURVEY NOW

Mitigation Survey:

Mitigation dollars are to be used for projects that will protect communities from the predictable damage caused by future events. Following HUD's publication of mandatory rules and requirements in the Federal Register, the GLO will write a Mitigation Action Plan that outlines what types of activities can be funded, who can receive those funds, and how much funding will be made available to each locality.

 

Stakeholder outreach is a critical part of the action plan development process and helps the GLO develop programs that address the challenges and needs faced by local communities. Over the last six weeks, the GLO policy development staff has conducted outreach to Harvey-impacted regions to solicit input to incorporate into the upcoming Mitigation Action Plan. Below is a list of input sessions the GLO has conducted over the last two weeks since the last GLO newsletter.

- SETRPC, H-GAC, BVCOG and CTCOG.

 

Please complete this survey to provide your thoughts and feedback for the mitigation funds: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GLO_Mitigation

For more information CLICK HERE for the mitigation web page and HERE for the mitigation summary

10 THINGS YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW ABOUT HURRICANES

There are common myths that may cause complacency in homeowners and lead them to not fully prepare for a natural disaster. The most common ones are provided below in quotes and are discussed in order to encourage people to take action.

“I survived Hurricane Harvey so I am sufficiently prepared.”

There’s a common myth that because a person survived the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, they are sufficiently prepared for future storms, but this isn’t the case.

If you survived the storm without any damage, count yourself as lucky. The next storm could be entirely different, and that’s why it’s so important to prepare. Know your risk, protect your home and plan your supplies and evacuation route now.

GET TO KNOW YOUR

COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR:

Simone Sanders:

Aransas, Bee, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio counties 

As your day-to-day contact for disaster recovery housing needs, Outreach Coordinators are here to serve you and your community. Their commitment to helping Texans repair their homes and rebuild their lives goes beyond the mission of the GLO. For them, it is personal.  

Outreach Coordinators live and work in the areas they serve, and so do their families. Some coordinators lost homes or vehicles in Hurricane Harvey. Others watched as the communities they grew up in were inundated by the rains. Each newsletter we will feature one coordinator whose story you may or may not know.  

Simone Sanders is no stranger to protecting the Texas coast and its residents. After 15 years of working in the GLO’s Oil Spill Prevention & Response Division, Simone joined the Intergovernmental Relations team this year to serve her home community in Nueces County and surrounding areas.  

“I decided to join the IGR team because of my love for outreach, marketing, public administration and community service,” Simone said. “It is my hope that I’ll be able to have a positive impact on my community and assist with the Hurricane Harvey recovery process now and in the future.” 

In her free time, Simone enjoys traveling, community service and event planning, reading and watching movies.

Simone can be reached by email at [email protected]

PREPAREDNESS & PARTNERS:

DISASTER RECOVERY RESOURCES:

Recovery.Texas.Gov

(512) 475-5000

Texas General Land Office

P.O. Box 12873

Austin, Texas 78711-2873