The Cameron County Office of Emergency Management has teamed up with the Texas Department of Emergency Management to help county residents participate in a survey pertaining to damage their homes received during the Texas winter storm.
Officials said the objective of this survey is to identify damages across Texas and to help emergency management officials across the state gain an understanding of the damages occurred during the recent winter weather.
Last week’s winter storm left millions without electricity for days and others with severe water damage in their homes due to busted water pipes that had frozen over.
The survey seeks information as to whether a residence or business was affected by the storm, whether the resident is able to live in the residence after the storm damage and whether the building is insured.
Additional information sought includes what type of disaster caused the impact, whether power or water was lost and the level of damage to the main building.
Those participating in the survey can provide photos of interior and exterior damage that was received.
“Please provide photos to help the emergency managers understand the full scope of any impacts in your area. These photos help let agencies and volunteer organizations know where and how to send assistance. While not all photos are required, the more you are able to provide, the better understanding you will give of your area’s impacts. Only return to the property to take photos if it is safe and legal to do so,” a portion of the survey reads.
According to the Dallas Morning News, last week’s storm could be the costliest weather event in state history as home and vehicle claims start to be filed. Prior to last week’s event, Hurricane Harvey had been the costliest event in Texas, which was about $20 billion.
“We know that damage assessments have only just begun — in every corner of Texas. Already, we were made aware of a agricultural disaster declaration by Gov. Abbott for the subtropical “breadbasket” of Texas — the Lower Rio Grande Valley, specifically Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy County,” wrote Barry Goldsmith, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Brownsville. “An initial assessment of citrus loss was at $305 million. If that is a starting point, it seems very likely that for our region alone, the combination of agricultural and infrastructural (insured and public) losses will be well over $1 billion.”
The survey can be found at: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/eb1ab4928205490182896d86783447d3
