About a fifth of federal disaster assistance applicants from Kerr County, Texas, have been deemed eligible for financial aid so far, leaving hundreds without government assistance for more than three months after deadly floods swept through the county on July 4.
As of Oct. 11, FEMA officials had referred only 46 percent of Kerr County’s applications for the Individuals and Families Program to the next stage, where they are evaluated to receive funds, a Texas Tribune analysis of federal data shows.
This means that 1,749 applications out of 3,228 have not yet been reviewed after the initial phase.
Of the applications from Kerr County that officials reviewed for specific funding, FEMA found that only 704 were eligible — or about 22 percent. The agency denied 775 requests, largely because people did not respond or withdrew their requests.
In comparison, Sarah Labowitz, a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Found it After 170 disasters from 2015 through May 2024, FEMA found that 39 percent of applicants for individual and family assistance were eligible.
The low percentages of referrals and approvals contrast with nine other Central Texas counties that saw significant damage from flooding over the weekend. Other counties had fewer applicants, reported less extensive damage, and received a higher percentage of approvals from FEMA. The agency has approved $37 million so far.
That disparity has led advocates to wonder what’s happening in Kerr County, where most of the flood deaths occurred when the Guadalupe River rose in the early morning hours of July 4.
FEMA did not respond to requests for comment for this story. The agency is not operating at full capacity during the federal government shutdown. The White House earlier this year called for a “comprehensive review” of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which President Donald Trump has threatened to cancel.
After a disaster, FEMA funds are intended to help cover hotel or rental costs, repairs to homes to make them livable, medical and transportation needs. Without it, people lose an important resource, especially if they don’t have insurance, savings or credit, said Maddie Sloan, project director for disaster recovery and fair housing at the nonprofit policy and advocacy group Texas Appleseed. Approvals were also tracked.
“If you’ve lost everything and you don’t have access to other resources, this is where you can get help with housing, where you can get help buying the car you need to get to work, buying the computer and books your child needs to go back to school,” Sloan said.
And in Kerr County, nonprofits are helping to fill the gaps. First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville donated $250,000 it received in private donations to repair roofs, replace vehicles, or cover rent, among other things. It received an additional $557,500 from the Texas Hill Country Community Foundation, which has raised $100 million and is counting to help the area recover.
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Billie Havis, a case manager at the church, heard painful stories from flood victims as she helped them: a mother who survived by clinging to what she called the “tree of life”; People whose families happened to be reunited at the River Inn, among the first places hit by the floods; A travel nurse staying in a travel trailer whose husband invited his parents to stay near him for the 4th of July holiday. His parents died. They also lost the trailer.
“These are our employees and we want to get them to a full recovery — which is many years down the road — but a physical recovery as soon as possible,” Havis said.
The foundation now covers the salary of Havis, a Kerrville native who grew up attending church. She’s a pediatric nurse by training, and the church hired her shortly after the floods to help connect people to resources. She said the foundation can help without asking them to wade through a mountain of paperwork.
The church’s pastor, Jasiel Hernandez Garcia, said even people who received FEMA aid felt some disappointment about what they received compared to their needs.
For some, he said, “It’s really minimal.”
Most rejections are due to lack of response or voluntary withdrawal
Why FEMA did not refer Kerr County’s applications for evaluation in the data is not disclosed, but there are some commonalities between them.
They are mostly over 50 and submit their applications largely online, rather than through a call center, the Tribune analysis found. Most reported damage in Kerrville.
For those denied assistance by FEMA, the primary reason is failure to respond to the agency or voluntary withdrawal.
Supporters say cell service in the area is spotty and not everyone has easy access to the Internet and computers to communicate with FEMA. People may not have a phone after a disaster or may not feel comfortable browsing online forms. They may not be emotionally ready to gather all the necessary information.
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Without federal help, people may leave the area because they can’t make it livable again, said Brittany Perego-Gomez, an attorney and director of the Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid Disaster Assistance Team. A lack of money for home repairs can also lead to other problems if people default on other bills.
“Individuals need to be able to begin their financial recovery, and the number one way to do that is to return to a safe place to live,” Gomez said.
The organization is now working on more than 140 cases from Kerr and surrounding counties, many of which need assistance with FEMA applications. Common problems include people lacking clear titles to their manufactured homes or recreational vehicles, or homes they have informally inherited. Others told the group they feel they don’t get enough money to make their homes safe to live in, Gomez said.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). No longer sending People are knocking door to door to tell flood victims how they can sign up for help and answer questions about what is needed to apply, Sloan said. It’s also not clear whether those denied understand why, or that they can appeal FEMA’s decision. FEMA now requires an email address for people to apply, which not everyone has.
“It’s another burden for someone who just went through one of the worst days of their life,” Sloan said.
Nonprofits jumped into action
Austin Dixon, CEO of the community foundation, was hosting his family at his Kerrville home for the Fourth of July holiday. The night before the storm, they played board games and slept late. By the time Dixon woke up, had a cup of coffee, and looked at his phone, he saw a lot of texts and alerts. He began to realize that something bad had happened.
Texas Hill Country Community Foundation staff knew from their help after past disasters that philanthropy can play an important role. They set up a relief fund at 9:48 a.m. on July 4.
“We had no idea what was coming,” Dixon said.
Dixon said the fund was launched when the extent of the devastation became clear. More than 100 One person has died in Kerr County, including generations of families who spent the holiday on the riverfront and 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic.
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The organization worked diligently and quickly. It has been distributed $11.9 million by the end of July to local nonprofits to provide cash assistance to victims and small businesses and to assist volunteer fire departments and shelters. Families received an average of $5,000 in those first weeks.
“Help is getting where it needs to go,” Dixon said, adding: “The… [financial aid] Government resources are not working in the first week and the second week, so there is a need in those early days, where there are resources, for charity to intervene early. This was what we chose to do, and I think it was the right decision.
Subsequently, the Foundation has supported numerous long-term housing, mental health, and community resources. It distributed funds to help repair homes, replace recreational vehicles used as primary residences, pay rent for temporary housing, and fund 28 case managers to be hired by several nonprofits. These case managers aim to work with the 673 flood victims who have registered with the foundation for assistance.
“Every dollar counts,” said Michelle Mayer, an associate professor at Texas A&M University and director of the Center for Risk Reduction and Recovery. “The people who typically end up in the nonprofit system are typically people who are uninsured, or underinsured. They may have people in their home who have disabilities. Seniors [folks] Many times it ends up in the field of recovery non-profits. “You need every dollar to try to get people back.”
Airbnb.orga nonprofit founded by Airbnb five years ago, has provided emergency housing to several hundred first responders and people whose homes flooded. The foundation gave the group $1.6 million to create housing for up to a year for 60 people or families whose homes were damaged by the floods, especially those in financial distress.
“It’s these people who we really want to make sure don’t fall through the cracks,” said Christophe Gorder, the nonprofit’s executive director.
Disclosure: Texas Appleseed has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in Tribune journalism. Find complete List of them here.