FEMA: Assistance can be accessed by phone, Internet

The good news is, anyone in Port Arthur who needs assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency can get it.

The bad news is, they will need a computer or a phone and Internet access.

Port Arthur is still a city where over a thousand homes are still without power and where countless more do not have Internet access, nevertheless it is not yet clear when the city could get its own FEMA field office.

Leo Skinner, a media relations specialist with FEMA, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has field offices in Houston, and he expects more offices to open—but he can’t say when.

http://www.panews.com/2017/09/03/fema-assistance-can-be-accessed-by-phone-internet/

Evacuations from Port Arthur shelters continue

Emergency personnel worked Friday to evacuate some of the flood victims who had been staying at shelters in Port Arthur.

By midday Friday, the shelter at Max Bowl, a private business whose owner opened up the facility for those who had no other place to seek shelter, had been emptied. Evacuees there were airlifted to Dallas.

The City of Port Arthur reports that approximately 200 people are still at the Carl Parker Center shelter at Lamar State College’s Port Arthur campus and 600 at shelter set up at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

http://www.panews.com/2017/09/01/evacuations-from-port-arthur-shelters-continue/

Helping Texans file insurance claim after Hurricane Harvey

Many Texans are just now seeing the damage caused to their property by Hurricane Harvey.   

The Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) recommends that homeowners and vehicle owners take the time to assess the damage to their property by taking photographs or video and then reporting the claim to your insurance agent or company as soon as possible.

Many insurance companies, including USAA, Allstate, Progressive, among others, and the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), have already set up mobile claims centers in the Corpus Christi, Rockport and Victoria. 

http://www.panews.com/2017/09/01/helping-texans-file-insurance-claim-after-hurricane-harvey/

Mold, gas leaks, other hazards loom for evacuees

Bound for their Harvey-soaked home east of Houston, Lakeithia Bankhead and her four children left the mass shelter at the city’s convention center Friday after five nights sleeping on cots among thousands of other evacuees. They filled a relative’s sport-utility vehicle with trash bags full of donated clothes, food and a baby bed.

But Bankhead felt ill-equipped to confront health hazards in the form of mold, spoiled food, gas leaks and downed power lines. The 38-year-old knows she’ll have to pull out the wet carpet of her rented home, but she doesn’t know what to do with other potential problems like mold, which can cause respiratory problems if inhaled.

http://www.panews.com/2017/09/02/mold-gas-leaks-other-hazards-loom-for-evacuees/

Sanitation pick up resumes in Port Neches

The city began collection on Friday; Monday’s route will be picked up Saturday; we will begin regular collection on Monday (This is Labor Day but we will be working). Our emergency debris contract has been activated and collection will be begin next week, more information will be provided early next week.  The city expects no interruption in its water services and no electrical interruptions.

http://www.panews.com/2017/09/02/sanitation-pick-up-resumes-in-port-neches/

Port Neches is Southeast Texas strong

Neighbors helped neighbors Friday as Port Neches Middle School served as a shelter for evacuees from Hurricane Harvey.

The vast majority of evacuees were from Port Arthur who called the school home sweet shelter for a couple of days, Principal Kyle Hooper said. 

The shelter was a place at which residents could sleep, shower and have something to eat and drink while they are displaced from their houses. Transportation was also provided to their houses, to other shelters or to the airport.

The school was nearly empty of the 200 residents staying there by Friday afternoon. Most were on their way to the Jack Brooks Regional Airport for shelter in Dallas.

http://www.panews.com/2017/09/02/port-neches-is-southeast-texas-strong/

Texas Workforce Commission accepting applications for disaster assistance

The Texas Workforce Commission is accepting applications for disaster unemployment assistance in counties impacted by severe weather due to Hurricane Harvey. 

Individuals whose employment or self-employment was impacted by Hurricane Harvey may now apply for assistance with the Texas Workforce Commission.

Individuals who live in, work in or travel through the following counties may apply: Colorado, Fayette, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Jacinto and Waller Counties.

http://www.panews.com/2017/09/02/texas-workforce-commission-accepting-applications-for-disaster-assistance/

Salvation Army prepares to support region

The Salvation Army is ready to provide physical, emotional and spiritual care to survivors and relief workers. Emergency Disaster Services from the Kentucky, Tennessee Division (KT) are en route to provide support to the Golden Triangle. In addition, The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club in Beaumont has opened its doors as emergency shelters.

A total of 5 mobile kitchens — each with the capacity to serve an average of 1,500 meals per day — and a shower trailer providing clean water will be staged in Lake Charles, La., in preparation for deployment; as soon as the roads clear and it is safe to enter. Additional resources from throughout the country are ready to mobilize and offer additional assistance as needed.

http://www.panews.com/2017/09/02/salvation-army-prepares-to-support-region/