Tips from other Kossacks:
h/t blueoregon:
City of Houston is NOT checking immigration status at shelters.
Police chief is warning people in Kingwood to not believe people in uniform claiming the area needs to evacuate, they are imposters.
h/t pr0gressivist:
- Use the Zello app to direct rescuers to you. They cannot see submerged house numbers; hang a sheet, blanket, or towel where it can be seen.
- Airbnb has activated their disaster program and properties rented through them are free. (You can offer a property at that link also.)
- Dallas has a 5,000 bed shelter with a fully-functional ER, counselors for PTSD, beds, food, water, hot showers, school buses for children, shelters for pets, clothing and other essentials. Your immigration status will not be checked as Dallas is a sanctuary city. Call 211 when close for help (the shelter is in downtown Dallas). We’re prepared for the long term. There are so many volunteers there is a waiting list.
- The IRS has already granted an extension until January for filings and payments.
- Please do not drive into water. A Houston police officer drowned in his vehicle trying to get to work.
- BTW Dallas mega shelter has added insurance claim teams to its staff. There is a waiting list for volunteers, so don’t just show up. Send supplies to trustedworld.org (see website for address, needed items, and hours).
- The people affected by this will need help for months, if not years, to come. Pace yourself because we are in this for the long haul.
h/t oldhippiedude:
Helpful Links:
Useful things culled from earlier diaries
List of useful Twitter accounts with accurate and timely information
Info for people needing to get into a shelter in Dallas
Lake Forest Utility District tells residents to boil water before using. How-to HERE and HERE.
Brazoria County asks that cellphone use be for emergencies only, because eergency calls are being dropped. Others, use text-only (SMS) messages
IMPORTANT info for Texans who’ll need to file insurance claims: FILE NOTICE OF CLAIM BY TODAY if you don’t have federal insurance (if in doubt, call lawyer; see below)
Related: FREE LEGAL ADVICE from Texas Bar Association — toll-free hotline (800) 504-7030 is answered in English, Spanish, Vietnamese.
Links To Be Helpful:
LIVE MAP: Houston Chronicle tracks which shelters need volunteers/donations.
Individuals in Need or Helping:
CathyM is donating all sales at her Etsy site through 9/6 to Houston Food Bank
Tasha Cooke — Tasha is a friend of Kossack hester (hester knew Tasha’s great-grandma!) She’s still awaiting rescue from her flooded home, with her three kids (including an epileptic 16-y-o) and infant grandchild. She’s pretty sure her severely damaged house will be condemned, her car’s underwater, she won’t be working her job at the Shipping Channel at the Port of Houston until it’s no longer submerged, and she’s wondering how the hell she’ll manage. Her modest GoFundMe is meant to just help her get them all through the next few weeks. We at DK love our specific instances — here’s one we can finish up. (Update: they’ve been removed to a shelter, and they’re closing on their goal, about $500 shy as I write.)
Lone Star Legal Aid — Not exactly an individual... Located in Houston, they are the 4th largest legal aid organization in the US. On Monday, during severe flooding, an explosion and fire in the building destroyed their offices. No one was there, luckily, but they could use some help to get back up to speed at a time when many people need their services. Legal aid lawyers and support staff are overworked and underpaid, and their organizations are constantly under threats of funding cuts. Kossack Crazycab214 used to work there and has a diary telling more.
Food Banks and related:
Houston Food Bank
Galveston County Food Bank
Food Bank of the Golden Crescent — serves 11 counties, roughly Rockport to Bay City on the coast, and about 50 miles inland
Food Bank of Corpus Christie
South East Texas Food Bank — serves Port Arthur, Beaumont, and surrounding region
Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley — serves Brownsville and 3 coastal counties at the southern border
Brazos Valley Food Bank — serves 6 counties up the Brazos River from the coast
Operation BBQ Relief — Volunteers provide hot meals (of BBQ!) both to storm victims and to first responders. Here’s their Facebook.
Farmer's Emergency Fund of the Texas Farmers’ Market — provides grants to farmers in times of crisis
Farm-1-1 — Bastrop County group that loans equipment and provides labor for struggling local farmers to rebuild
Children:
Texas Diaper Bank
Driscoll Children’s Hospital — in Corpus Christi (up and running!)
Medical and Disabilities:
Portlight — champions of the disabled in disasters
Direct Relief USA — prescription drugs and medical supplies
Shelter:
ShelterBox — TexMex’s latest diary
Houston Coalition for the Homeless
Houston Undocumented Communities Flood Relief Fund — Houston has over 5K undocumented families, many of whom have lost everything but will not qualify for FEMA or other government aid. This YouCaring hopes to assist them.
Animals:
TWRC Wildlife Center — the wildlife rescue that took in TaxiHawk
Austin Pets Alive! — No-kill shelter now evacuating Houston animals
Houston Humane Society
San Antonio Humane Society
SPCA of Texas
Austin Wildlife Rescue — Rescues wild animals
List of other groups rescuing animals in the (vast) storm area
General/Response by Specific Communities:
Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund (first place the storm hit, at Cat 4)
UMCOR — Methodist relief org uses 100% of donations to help victims (church covers overhead). One way to help: assemble and ship relief supply kits
Montrose Center — Houston LGBTQ community
Jewish Federations of North America
Nechama: Jewish Response to Disaster
Islamic Society of Greater Houston — Four mosques now open as shelters. At link, you can donate, volunteer, or seek services from them. Related article here.
Global Giving — distributes food, gas, clean water, hygiene supplies, etc.
Non-monetary:
TrustedWorld — Organizes volunteers and collects donations of needed items (as well as $$)
Volunteer Houston — Organizes volunteers
Donate blood — find a local blood bank
Diary w/ link to ActBlue page for a group of TX relief orgs, to facilitate donating to more than one at a time. Includes these organizations:
- Texas Diaper Bank
- SPCA of Texas
- Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County
- Galveston Bay Foundation
- Houston Food Bank
- Galveston County Food Bank
- Coastal Bend Community Foundation
- Nueces County Community Action Agency
- Houston Diaper Bank
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Bend
- Portlight Inclusive Disaster Strategies
- Food Bank of Corpus Christi
- Gulf Coast Humane Society
- Galveston Island Meals on Wheels
- Greater Houston Community Foundation