Recovery from flooding tips

Summary of Service to Date & Plans for This Weekend!

Over the past 10 days, so many of you have put forth tremendous labors to aid our neighbors who were impacted by the flooding from Hurricane Harvey.  Your donations, service, prayers, meals, time, organizational assistance, hugs, tears, and sacrifices have blessed their lives in countless ways!

  • 107 different work crews
  • 1,500 members and friends from the Katy stake
  • 156 homes remediated!

 This past weekend, across Houston there were: 

  • 11,000 LDS Church members serving on Sunday; 10,000 members on Saturday from 53 stakes! Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Baton Rouge, Jackson, Mississippi
  • At least 5 stakes from Austin serving in Katy
  • Estimated 200,000 hours!

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865688556/While-Irma-raged-11000-Mormon-volunteers-worked-to-save-Texas-homes.html

More opportunities to serve this weekend 9/16-17:

We have been asked by the Area Seventy to send out as many work crews as possible again this Saturday and Sunday.  Thousands of additional LDS volunteers will be coming in to help us from across Texas.  Our LDS volunteers from Louisiana and Mississippi are heading to Florida to help with Hurricane Irma clean-up.   Please sign up with your ward leaders to join a crew and invite friends and neighbors to join us!

Requesting Help for Homeowners.  If you become aware of people who still need assistance re-mediating their homes, please have them call 844-965-1386. If you have friends, family, or co-workers for whom you’d like Mormon Helping Hands to personally assist them, please email pmillerkaty@gmail.com with their name/address/phone number/details of the work needed/and your ward name.  Since we aren’t doing any mid-work remediation, please communicate to your friend that our next availability to assist them will be this Saturday/Sunday.

 Thank you for your efforts in this great work!

 

Service Opportunities for the Weekend 9/8, 9/9 & 9/10

The flood waters have receded and plan that all members of the Church in the Katy area will have completed the mucking and gutting of their homes by the end of the weekend. We will also be placing increased focus on helping with the countless other homes across our community which still need remediation.  To help in this endeavor, teachers from Katy ISD will be joining us, as will up to 1,000 church members from the Austin area.

If you know of anyone in the area that still needs assistance with re-mediating their home, we’d like to assist.  For friends and neighbors for whom you want Mormon Helping Hands to personally do the flood clean up in their home, please send their name, address, phone #, and details of work to be done to pmillerkaty@gmail.com.  Otherwise, you can have them call the following phone number and either our group or another non-LDS group will help them: 800-451-1954.

Please work with your ward leaders to sign up for a work crew.   Also, please bring any gloves, masks and safety goggles you have–or that others can donate–as we want to ensure we have sufficient safety protection for all our volunteers.  Here is the slate of service opportunities for the upcoming weekend:

Friday:   70 teachers from Katy IDS will be joining Mormon Helping Hands–come out and participate with us.  Meet at Beck Jr. High at 10 AM to work until 4 PM.   We do need a few additional crew chiefs–so if you could help lead a team, please let Fred Lewis know (fred.lewis1212@yahoo.com).

Saturday:  meet at the Katy Stake Center at 8 AM (teachers from Katy ISD may again be joining us).

Sunday:   a special sacrament meeting will be held for flood relief volunteers at 8 AM at the new Heritage Bluff bldg.  All other wards will have a 1 hour sacrament mtg at the usual time and location—except:

-Cross Creek and Grand Lakes: combined sacrament meeting at 9:30 AM at the Heritage Bluff bldg.  Sealy: 8 AM at the Sealy bldg.

We have seen firsthand the level of sacrifice and devotion that so many of you have put forth in the past week. We’re so thankful for all you’re doing.  Please ensure you are getting sufficient rest. We do not expect you to participate in each service event–so pace yourself and choose only those that you’re reasonably able to assist with.

We continue to see the Lord’s hand in this work. We see miracles each day.  Doors opening. Hearts softening.  Remarkable relationships forming.   We pray for your continued safety and well being in the days ahead as we carry His love and hope into the hearts of those we serve.

We will now be placing additional focus on assisting them with their spiritual and temporal needs they begin the rebuilding process.

Gratefully,

The Katy Texas Stake Presidency

 

Resources for Dealing with Flooding

There is so much information to sort through as families are recovering from the flooding, we have put in a few more documents in the share folder to access: Hurricane Harvey Recovery

These documents include navigating FEMA, cleaning up personal property after a flood and a response guide to dealing with this crisis.

Please share these documents with those who can benefit the most!

Tips on Surviving after Harvey

These are some valuable tips from the Buskop Law Group

TDEM has asked for help spreading the word about how to track friends and family who are Hurricane Harvey evacuees. The Red Cross has a system, but evacuees must register once safe by going to safeandwell.org and list themselves as “Safe and Well”. If you use Twitter or Facebook, please SHARE this website and encourage those who follow you to also share/retweet to get the word out.

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UBER RIDES

To support disaster recovery efforts, Uber is donating $300,000 of rides, food, and relief to the families and communities affected by Hurricane Harvey, and our teams on the ground are working with local officials to understand where these services can be most helpful.

To support displaced families throughout Texas, Uber is donating free rides to or from shelters (up to $50 each) in multiple cities. No action is required to receive a free ride to or from these locations-the full discount will automatically be applied and reflected in the app when you request uberX.

Uber is donating rides and supplies to those in need:

https://www.uber.com/blog/texas/hurricane-harvey-relief-efforts/

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HARRIS COUNTY DONATION & VOLUNTEER HOTLINES:

Donations: 1-800-924-5985
Volunteers: 281-656-1533

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MORE INFORMATION

The Health and Human Services Commission is currently working around the clock in recovery efforts to assist those impacted by Hurricane Harvey.  For disaster victims looking for additional information on any Health and Human need they can call 2-1-1. Operators are standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help Texans.

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 Please note that community members may begin registering for assistance at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/.  You may also wish to reference the OOG Hurricane Center for disaster-related information and links.  Additionally, the FEMA Fact Sheet is available here

SOLID WASTE PICKUP

DISASTER STORM DEBRIS – FLOOD AND WIND:

Disaster Debris from Hurricane Harvey will be collected on an ongoing basis until all material has been collected. Please place your debris at the curb as soon as possible. It is essential the piles be accessible by the collection crews therefore please do not park on the street blocking piles, and make sure the material is clear of tree branches, fire hydrants, utility lines. Please divide debris into the following categories. 

  • Vegetative Debris – leaves (do not put in bags), logs, plants, tree branches.  
  • Construction & Demolition Debris – building materials, carpet, drywall, furniture, lumber, mattresses and plumbing.  
  • Appliances & White Goods – air conditioners, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters.  
  • Electronics – computers, radios, stereos, televisions, other devices with a cord.  
  • Household Hazardous Waste – cleaning supplies, batteries, lawn chemical, oils, oil-based paints, stains and pesticides 

GARBAGE COLLECTION:

  • Thursday, August 31, 2017 – Thursday’s Garbage collection will begin with normal schedule. 
  • Friday, September 1, 2017 – Friday’s Garbage collection will be collected.  
  • Monday, September 4, 2017 – No collection in observance of Labor Day 
  • Tuesday, September 5, 2017 – Monday’s Garbage will be collected. 
  • Wednesday, September 6, 2017 – Tuesday’s Garbage will be collected 
  • Thursday, September 7, 2017 – Normal garbage schedule resumes for all collection days. 

YARDWASTE COLLECTION:
Yardwaste collection will be suspended until further notice due to the need of extra personnel for debris collection for disaster recovery. 

JUNK WASTE AND TREE WASTE COLLECTION:
Normally scheduled Junk and Tree Waste collections will be suspended until further notice as all related personnel will be assigned to disaster debris collections. 

RECYCLING COLLECTION:
Curbside single stream recycling collection will be suspended until further notice. All additional personnel will be assigned to debris collection for disaster recovery. 

TWO – Making your Insurance/FEMA Claim as Smooth As Possible

NO FLOOD INSURANCE? SOME RESOURCES:
1. Register with FEMA (https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-harvey). Get in line now. Don’t wait until the storm passes.
2. File for the Disaster Assistance and Emergency Relief Program (https://www.benefits.gov/benefits/benefit-details/4418), and file your Publication 547 form (https://www.irs.gov/publications/p547/) with the IRS. Both of these programs allow for residents to write off their losses via taxes, and even refile your most recent taxes, thus potentially getting an unexpected refund, something that could go a long way in recovery.
3. Apply for the Disaster Legal Services Program (https://www.benefits.gov/benefits/benefit-details/431). Through this program, the government provides legal services to lower-income individuals. This can help when seeking insurance claims, dealing with contractors and home repairs, etc. A huge benefit.
4. Apply for Rebuild Houston Together (http://www.rebuildinghouston.org/homeowners.htm), a group that helps senior citizens rebuild their homes.
5. See if you belong to a group that is a member of the Tool Bank (http://www.houstontoolbank.org/borrow…/first-time-borrowers/), a group that brings much needed tools to a disaster area. Note you must be a part of one of their member orgs, such as a church or other charity, including neighborhood associations.
6. Apply for assistance with Team Rubicon (https://teamrubiconusa.org/response/capabilities-services/) a group that specializes in helping gut homes damaged by disaster so that trade professionals can come in and get the job done faster and cheaper.
7. Work through the options at DisasterAssitance.gov(https://www.disasterassistance.gov/get-assistance). Links found on this site will streamline some of the other steps, e.g. FEMA application.
#HURRICANEHARVEY
8. Another useful resource : http://harrisrecovery.org/

Here is more information to share with people whose homes that have flooded:

  1. Ensure physical safety – everything else can be replaced – you can’t
  2. You are in a marathon now, not a sprint – everything will take much, much longer than you want it to. You will be dealing with the federal government (national flood) and they move at their own pace
  3. Take pictures – lots of pictures. Establish how high the water was inside and outside of your house. You need to prove how deep the water was as part of your flood claim. Use a yardstick or ruler on the outside of your house to establish the high water mark.
  4. File your claim immediately – get in line for adjustors, etc.
  5. Flood insurance will not reimburse you for loss of use, so any hotel or lodging expenses will be out of pocket
  6. Save all receipts – all of them
  7. Order a POD or storage container as they will sell out fast or rent a storage unit
  8. As soon as the water recedes, start mitigating the damage. Shopvac out what water you can, remove the wet carpets, remove the baseboards and start removing wet sheetrock. Cut a line about 2 feet up the wall. The straighter you cut, the easier the rebuild will be. Bag debris/insulation etc and take it outside. Save a square of ruined carpet and ruined carpet pad for the insurance to verify replacement value – if you have multiple carpets, save multiple samples. – Your goal is to get anything wet out of your house so it can begin to dry. Don’t worry about removing glue down hardwoods, let the contractor handle that during the rebuild
  9. Take pictures of any damage you see, wet sheetrock, wet carpet, wet furniture, anything you want to claim – document. For contents, document individual items – each shirt, book, etc needs to be enumerated and documented for the claim – if you say 20 books on your claim, you need a photograph where 20 books can be individually accounted for – be exact and over detailed
  10. We are expecting more rain so don’t put flood debris where it can float away, block a drain and cause more trouble
  11. Be very careful about hiring “the experts” companies will bring in fans, etc. and eat up a lot of your claim check by “drying” your house – once the walls are open, the studs will dry in time. Every dime you spend renting expensive blowers is money you can’t use towards granite countertops or tile upgrades when you rebuild. Fans, your air conditioner a dehumidifier from Home Depot will do the job. You can spray the studs with bleach as they dry out. We saved $10K each claim by doing the work ourselves in our three floods.
  12. Be careful hiring contractors – ask for multiple references, ensure they use sub-contractors they know – they will be busy and be prepared to wait
  13. Plastic storage tubs work better than cardboard boxes for storage of your undamaged stuff
  14. Be nice to the adjustor – he or she will be valuing your loss and establishing the rebuild – every dollar counts, so be a pleasant memory for the adjustor, rather than “that” person
  15. No matter who your insurance company is, all flood claims go through the federal government, all money comes through FEMA, so the time between the adjustor visiting your house and you getting money takes weeks/months – be patient – it is challenging and horrible waiting, but you are dealing with the government and all the other claims that are in flight as well.
  16. Your first estimate will likely be less than you expect, so work with your contractor to file a supplement for things that were missed. Be wary of working with 3rd party arbitrators as they will take a %age of your total claim, not just any extra they get you in the supplement.
  17. Accept help when offered and be specific – if someone asks “what can I do?” tell them something specific – I need candles, contractor bags, sandwiches – be grateful of those that reach out and be honest with what you need.
  18. You will get through this, it is a struggle, but you will get through it. Lean on your faith, your friends and family.

 

THREE – Tips on Moving and Places with Current Availability

Here is a list of move in ready apartments for all those displaced from their homes. This was updated as of yesterday. If you know anyone in need, please pass this on

Please rent a storage space before you start to move your possessions if you are not moving into an apartment immediately.  If you need moving help, please call us. We are restocking our boxes and supplies daily. Amazing Spaces had storage space available the last time that I checked. Rent a storage space that is larger than you think that you will need. If you do not stack your possessions, you will be able to access quickly as you need them.

Avalon at Royal Oaks
2310 Crescent Park Drive
Houston, Texas, TX 77077
281-853-8326Call: 281-853-8326

Broadmoor Apartments
10215 Beechnut Street
Houston, Texas, TX 77072
281-495-7080Call: 281-495-7080

Cranbrook Forest Apartments
13875 Elia Blvd.
Houston, Texas, TX 77014
281-495-7080Call: 281-495-7080

Cleme Manor Apartments
5300 Coke St
Houston, Texas, TX 77020
713-672-6614Call: 713-672-6614

Champion Townhomes on the Green
11201 Veterans Memorial Dr
Houston, Texas, TX 77067
281-444-6651Call: 281-444-6651

City Parc II at West Oaks
3530 Green Crest Dr
Houston, Texas, TX 77082
832-379-0300Call: 832-379-0300

Fulton Village Apartments
3300 Elser Street
Houston, Texas, TX 77009
(713) 228-9722Call: (713) 228-9722

Heatherbrook Apartments
2000 Tidwell Road
Houston, Texas, TX 77093
(713)694-6655Call: (713)694-6655

Haven at West 11th
2205 West 11th Street
Houston, Texas, TX 77008
281-942-4193Call: 281-942-4193

Haven at Augusta Woods (Limited units available)
8011 Augusta Pines Drive
Spring, Texas, TX 77389
281-730-8197Call: 281-730-8197

Limestone Apartments
14723 W Oaks Plaza St.
Houston, Texas, TX 77082
281-783-3713Call: 281-783-3713

Oaks of Ashford Point Apartments
4040 Synott Rd
Houston, Texas, TX 77082
281-531-7676Call: 281-531-7676

Pine Forest Apartments
17103 Clay Road
Houston, Texas, TX 77084
281-947-3601Call: 281-947-3601

The Residences at Fannin Station
10000 Fannin Station
Houston, Texas, TX 77045
281-612-7279Call: 281-612-7279

Stonebridge at City Park
11800 City Park Central Ln
Houston, Texas, TX 77047
713-433-9900Call: 713-433-9900

Shadow Ridge Apartments
12203 Old Walters Rd
Houston, Texas, TX 77014
281-444-1204Call: 281-444-1204

Sandpiper Apartments
10400 Sandpiper Drive
Houston, Texas, TX 77096
713-322-9821Call: 713-322-9821

Sweetwater Point Apartments
7909 S Sam Houston Pkwy E
Houston, Texas, TX 77075
(832) 200-9945Call: (832) 200-9945

Village at Uvalde
250 Uvalde Road
Houston, Texas, TX 77015
713-999-6091Call: 713-999-6091

Vista Arbor Square
10301 Sandpiper Drive
Houston, Texas, TX 77096
713-955-7157Call: 713-955-7157

The Villas on Winkler
8625 Winkler Dr
Houston, Texas, TX 77017
713-910-7774Call: 713-910-7774

Waters at Westchase Apartments
11490 Harwin Dr
Houston, Texas, TX 77072
281-942-4128Call: 281-942-4128

Ravella at Eastpoint
7447 Eastpoint Boulevard
Baytown, TX 77521
832.376.8700Call: 832.376.8700

Ravella at Kingwood
25710 Tx-494 Loop
Kingwood, Texas 7739
281.359.1599Call: 281.359.1599

Mason Park
222 Mason Creek Drive
Katy, Texas 77450
281.492.0405Call: 281.492.0405

The Villages of Cypress Creek
10300 Cypresswood Drive
Houston, Texas 77070
832.237.6200Call: 832.237.6200

 

Public Resource: Communication Session 9/7

This opportunity presented itself as a great resource to hear what services are available and steps to take after being flooded. This is not sponsored by the Church, but wanted to make it known to those who would benefit.

question session

Get your questions answered from professionals 
 
*Car/Home Insurance filing *FEMA 
*Choosing a contractor *Real estate questions 
*Landlord obligation *Mortgage company & credit card help
*How to give back *Volunteering opportunities

*Home repairs *Question and Answer session

We will have a professional panel to discuss how to get back on our feet and where to turn for resources. 
 
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
 
Location: The Village School, 2005 Gentryside Dr. Houston, TX 77077
We will update you as more information becomes available.
We will get through this!
#HoustonStrong #TexasStrong
Energy Corridor District Offices will be closed until further notice, but we will keep you updated via social media and emails as necessary.

Updates & Opportunities to Serve After Hurricane Harvey

In this time of need, there are many that are looking to serve and provide their time and resources for our community. The Katy Stake leadership will keep a running list with information for you to reference during the coming days and weeks.

Volunteer and Donations:

Mormon Helping Hands are being organized at the ward level and then stake level to assist individual home owners gut their homes once their house has drained from the flood waters. These work crews will be organized for this Saturday, Sunday and Monday (September 2-4th) as well as in the coming weeks and/or months as the needs get addressed and the flood waters leave. Strict safety guidelines will be provided with training for each crew.  Projects will be announced shortly and we welcome volunteers, ages 14 and up, to help in this challenging but rewarding service.

  • On Friday, 9/1, Ben Hilton will be leading a group for drywall removal out of a half dozen homes starting at 2935 Lake Drive, Katy TX 77494.  We will be starting there at 9 a.m. ending around noon.  What to bring (essentials):Gloves, Drywall knives or Box Cutter knives. Optional: Wheelbarrow if you have one, Pry bars if you have one, Chisel and Hammer, Bottled water or other refreshments! Book of Mormon to pass out! Questions, contact Ben Hilton, Cell 281-773-5772

  • September 1-2: Here are immediate needs at Katy Christian Ministries and they will be accepting donations Friday & Saturday 9am – 5pm: powdered laundry detergent (small sizes), shampoo & conditioner, razors/shaving cream, toilet paper, dried beans, rice, ramen, mac & cheese, pasta/pasta sauce, canned meats, canned tomatoes, canned fruit. All must have expiration dates of 2018 or later.
  • If you are looking for other ways to serve, this website lists many opportunities with various churches collecting, sorting, etc: katydisasterresponse.com as well as justserve.org. On there is listed many opportunities to contribute.
  • If you would like to sign up to donate to clean supply kits, use this sign-up genius link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080d4ca8ab23a13-cleaning
  • If you have housing to share – either in the short-term or know of long-term housing for families displaced, add to this document: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSco1wzAIdxzk0pI8-saxlzE4OrJ7gC41ycItAmo7nCryG_Efw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Information for Those Who Have Been Flooded

  • This link takes you to a folder with helpful tips on managing your home after a flood – it was written by a family that just experienced their home flooding in Baton Rouge last August. Also there are self-care tips for everyone to review after a disaster Hurricane Harvey Documents
  • If you want to share where people can receive work crews to come help “muck and gut” their flooded home once the water recedes, call these numbers at Crisiscleanup.org. This is a centralized database that all churches use, including Mormon Helping Hands, to strategically address the needs in the community and use volunteer resources most effectively. This is a hotline available to submit work orders for specific need requests related to the damages and for cleanup efforts. There is no charge if these services. They are mobilizing thousands to come and help mucking out homes, cleaning etc.  By calling the hotline number, a volunteer will take down the information you need and create a work order and then attempt to send a volunteer crew out to help. This includes removing carpet, cutting down tree limbs, etc. Obviously there’s still difficulty getting crews into the neighborhood, but this will allow us to start the rebuilding process, and they will come as they are able.

800-451-1954
844-965-1386