AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin, with the assistance of Austin Emergency Management (AEM), announced they recovered $34.7 million as reimbursement for disasters.
According to a press release from AEM, 91% of the reimbursement rate can be attributed to COVID-19, with the other money coming from winter storms Uri and Mara and the 2015 floods. Sara Henry, the AEM Chief Administrative Officer, said she’s glad the money was given to Austin.
“The COVID-19 pandemic changed many of our lives forever. While most people have moved on or found a new normal, AEM’s finance team is still actively recovering millions of dollars for the city,” Henry said. “We are working with state and federal partners every week to help get these dollars back into our community.”
The best way to see if someone is eligible for the funds is to self-report it directly through the state with the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool (iSTAT), according to the release. Taking photos of the damages is most effective, according to iSTAT.
“It is important that we acknowledge the mental and emotional toll of long-term disaster recovery for everyone,” Henry said. “It can take several years after the event to get reimbursed, and I am very proud of the team who shows up to do this work behind the scenes every day. We hope our community will also take time to educate themselves about this process and their role in disaster recovery.”