City: Disaster declaration sought for federal storm aid

Michelle Gaitan | San Angelo

The City of San Angelo and the Tom Green County Emergency Management office are gathering information to declare a local disaster after Friday night's severe thunderstorms.

To help prove need for federal aid, residents are urged to email photos of damage to damage@cosatx.us.

Once a local disaster is declared, the State of Texas can, on behalf of the city and county, request that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) make low-interest loans to individuals and businesses to help pay the non-insured portion of repairs that have been completed, according to a city news release.

FEMA does not pay directly to service providers.

RELATED: San Angelo cleans up after Friday night storm

To qualify for the loans, repairs must be completed and there must be photographic documentation of the damage, three estimates for repairs and receipts for all work done.

Loans will not be given for work that is not completed. Those who have suffered storm damage are urged to document every step of the repair process, the release stated.

The Texas Department of Insurance offers these tips to homeowners to protect themselves from contractor scams:

Get written estimates on company letterhead with clear contact information.

Get more than one bid to determine which offers are legitimate, too high or too good to be true.

Use local companies after checking references and phone numbers.

Don’t pay up front. Good contractors typically require a partial payment up front and final payment once the job is done.

Anthony Wilson, the city's public information officer, said it could be weeks before they have an estimate on the cost of damage the storm caused the city.

"Like a lot of establishments across San Angelo, we suffered a significant amount of roof damage" to city facilities, he said. "We've also seen a lot of damage to traffic signs and traffic signals. Of course, there has been a lot of damage in parks as well."

"We do not have an estimated total of what that damage might be," he said. "We've been in contact with our insurance carrier and they will be sending an adjuster to look at all of our roofs and other things."

Cleanup and utility repair

City crews were still working Monday to repair utility damage and remove debris. Three debris drop-off sites will remain open to the public through Sunday, July 9:

Foster Communications Coliseum, 50 E. 43rd St., north of the former Lake View stadium.

San Angelo Stadium at Knickerbocker Road and Johnson Street. The drop-off point will be in the parking lot alongside Johnson.

The Lake Operations maintenance facility at 2301 Fisherman’s Road, near Fisherman’s and Knickerbocker roads.

Debris should be placed within the areas marked by orange traffic barrels. Tree limbs, brush and other woody debris will be accepted. Metal and trash will not.

The city is allowing homeowners to place small amounts of debris out for bulk pickup with their normal trash service. Branches and limbs must be cut into lengths no longer than 4 feet and bundled to weigh no more than 60 pounds.

Debris that fits may also be placed inside tan garbage bins for pickup.

Residents who can take tree and brush debris to a drop-off site are asked to do so. Because of the widespread damage, city staff and equipment are spread thin; any and all help with debris removal is greatly appreciated, the city said.

City personnel cannot enter private property to assist with debris removal. However, for residents without the means to take debris to a drop-off site, City personnel can help if tree and brush debris is moved to the edge of the curb.

Debris must be able to be reached from the street, but not be placed in the street because of the hazard to drivers.

Traffic sign and signal damage was also significant across San Angelo. City crews are working to replace damaged and missing signage, and to repair damage to signals. This process will continue into next week, the city said.

Because all of the issues have not yet been addressed, motorists should use caution while driving. Some of the damage has disrupted the timing of signals; delays along normal travel routes can be expected until repairs can be made.

The Operations Department anticipates the work can be completed by the end of the week.

At Main and Pulliam streets, the signal was removed because of extensive damage, and the intersection will remain a four-way stop until a new signal can be installed. The city estimates it could take 60-90 days to be completed.

Public safety

During Friday’s storm, San Angelo Public Safety Communications recorded 762 calls from 8 p.m. to midnight. That number includes all incoming non-emergency, 911, abandoned and outgoing calls, according to the San Angelo Police Department.

During that four-hour time period dispatchers averaged 190.5 calls per hour.

San Angelo’s resources performed beyond expectations in emergency operations, and many off-duty SAPD officers and dispatchers reported to work without being asked, the SAPD said.

Officers, along with partner agencies, responded to numerous incidents, assisting with life-threatening tree and electrical hazards, traffic issues caused by downed signals and debris in roadways, among other calls.

Contributing to the large call volume were residents who called police and fire dispatch to report power outages or to inquire about estimated repair times.

SAPD and fire dispatch lines — 911 and non-emergency number 325-657-4315 — should never be used to report power outages or to inquire about estimated repair times, SAPD said.

Those reports should go directly to AEP at 1-866-223-8508 or aeptexas.com/outages/report.

Department officials asked residents to save this important contact information for future reference and to help keep emergency lines open for true emergencies.

Moving forward into Texas’s severe weather season, SAPD encourages residents to be prepared.

For tips to develop a safety plan, visit ready.gov/severe-weather, and to monitor local National Weather Service updates, visit weather.gov/sjt.

For local public safety alerts, subscribe to local.nixle.com/san-angelo-police-department.

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