Fort Bend County Announces Evacuation Orders Modification for Districts Near the Brazos River

UPDATE: 9/1 1 p.m.: The Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management has officially changed the evacuation orders for the following areas:

District changing from mandatory to voluntary evacuation include:

• Fort Bend MUD No. 46
• Fort Bend MUD No. 49
• Palmer Plantation MUD No. 1
• Palmer Plantation MUD No. 2
• Fort Bend LID No. 7

Portions of districts changing from mandatory to voluntary evacuation:

• Sienna Plantation LID – North of the Gulf Coast Water Authority Canal

Districts remaining under mandatory evacuation:

• Fort Bend Lid No. 20
• Pecan Grove MUD

Portion of districts that will remain under mandatory:

• Sienna Plantation LID – South of the Golf Coast Water Authority Canal
• First Colony LID No. 1 – South of Highway 6
• Fort Bend LID No. 19 – South of Hagerson Road

Districts remaining under voluntary evacuation:

• Fort Bend LID No. 2
• Fort Bend LID No. 10
• Fort Bend LID No. 11
• Fort Bend LID No. 14
• Fort Bend LID No. 17
• First Colony LID No. 2
• Fort Bend LID No. 6
• Fort Bend LID No. 15
• Fort Bend MUD No. 121

Portions of districts remaining under voluntary evacuation:

• Fort Bend LID No. 19 – North of Hagerson Road
• First Colony LID No. 1 – North of Highway 6

Residents may determine which area their home is in by typing their address into the County’s interactive map.

 As of 4:15 p.m., the National Weather Service is reporting the Brazos River at a level of 54.94’ after cresting earlier on Friday, Sept. 1, at 55.19’. See the most recent river levels.

Residents with additional questions about the County’s evacuation orders may visit www.fbcoem.org or call 281.342.6185.

Brazos River Crests at Richmond Gage; Shelters Closing in Missouri City, Donations No Longer Accepted at Rec Center

UPDATE: 9/1 1 p.m.: As of 12:15 p.m. the Brazos River is at 55.08’, after cresting at 55.19’ earlier today. The mandatory and voluntary evacuations remain in place until notification is shared by Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert. Residents with questions about the County’s evacuation orders may visit www.fbcoem.org or call 281.342.6185.

Although the Brazos River has begun to lower in our area, we still see its effects in our community. Continue to check the City’s interactive road closure map to see where high water areas and road closures are located.

The Red Cross has also closed the Thurgood Marshall High School shelter in Missouri City. For Information on the American Red Cross Shelters call 1.800.733.2767.

Donations are no longer going to be accepted at the Recreation and Tennis Center, 2701 Cypress Point Dr., as the Center will begin preparing to opening for regular business hours. Residents may visit the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management’s website to learn about County donation drop-off locations.

Societal Restoration; Recovery for Citizens and the Business Community

Societal Restoration is a key objective of recovery from emergency situations. Recovery for our citizens and business community is vital to restoring our City’s way of life.

Homeowners

Homeowners are highly encouraged to file a claim with their insurance provider. It is important that homeowners understand the difference between a homeowners policy and a flood insurance policy.

A homeowner’s property insurance policy is administered through an insurance provider such as State Farm, Farmers, Travelers, etc. This policy will cover things related to Harvey and its tornados such as roof leaks, structural damage and content loss. Regarding water damage from rainfall to the structure, the homeowner’s policy will cover water damage that comes from the sky.

Flood insurance is administered by FEMA and is underwritten by insurance companies. Flood insurance is what provides coverage from water damage that results from rising flood water. This means that the flooding caused by Harvey or the rising river water that causes damage is covered under a flood insurance policy. A homeowner’s property insurance policy will not cover damage due to rising flood waters. For information on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) homeowners can refer to www.floodsmart.gov.

A homeowner should always file a direct claim with their property and flood insurance carriers. They should also file for FEMA Individual Assistance (IA). Homeowners should file their FEMA application at www.disasterassistance.gov.

In certain circumstances a homeowner may receive their property insurance claim, however, the claim may not be enough to cover the cost of repairs (i.e. insurance deductible). Additionally, because a homeowner has insurance, FEMA may deny their application for benefits. If this occurs the homeowner can apply for a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan. This very low interest rate government loan can potentially make up the gap to cover the cost of repairs. They can apply for this program at www.sba.gov.

Business Owners

In addition to applying for property insurance on their business, residents can also participate in the NFIP and purchase flood insurance. The same rules apply regarding Harvey damages and rising flood water. Small Business Owners are not eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance. They can apply for loans through the SBA at www.sba.gov.

In all cases, a flood insurance policy does not go into effect when initially purchased. There is a 30 day waiting period before a policy becomes active. If a policy was purchased a week before Harvey, and the property received flood water damage, the insurance claim will most likely be denied because the policy was not yet active.

In the coming days, FEMA and several insurance carriers will establish recovery centers to assist residents with applying for assistance. In all cases, FEMA applications should be filed online at the www.disasterassistance.gov website. This will expedite their application through the FEMA system. If FEMA denies benefits, the homeowner’s application is automatically forwarded to the Small Business Administration. The SBA coordinates its efforts directly with FEMA and will be present at the FEMA recovery center.

For more information, please contact Division Chief of Training/Emergency Management Coordinator Jaime Ponce de Leon’s office at 281.403.4370.

UPDATE: 9/1: WCA/VF Waste Services will resume regular service for solid waste that is placed in the blue cart. Please place your cart out at the curb in the same manner as you normally do. Recycling services will be suspended until Monday, Sept. 11, when they will resume as normal for all customers citywide.

Regular service will also take place on Monday, Sept. 4, for all customers on Labor Day. Please note, suspended WCA/VF Waste Services due to this storm event will not be made up or pushed to another service day. Safety is WCA/VF Waste Services’ number one concern; they hope everyone is safe during this time.

Our commercial collection service is operating on a limited basis.  We are only collecting trash from hospitals, apartments, restaurants, and convenience stores. We will begin normal operations very soon.

All storm debris, including hazardous waste and construction debris, will be serviced on a separate schedule to be determined on a later date; details will be shared with residents when finalized. Please reference the above FEMA graphic for clarification regarding different debris types. City staff are finalizing details with the County and will notify residents of proper procedures when an announcement is ready regarding storm debris pickup.

Collection services were suspended the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, due to the severe weather and flooding caused from Harvey. WCA/VF Waste has been continuing to assess serviceability of the roadways and communities on a day-to-day basis and have been updating customers via their website and email announcement blasts.  If you would like to receive updates, please register by sending an email to awilhite@wcamerica.com.

WCA/VF Waste’s mission is to provide the best service possible to communities, and during times like this, it is their goal to first collect putrescible waste, which is the material that begins to breakdown and, if left uncollected, would begin to decompose in the Houston heat.

WCA/VF Waste asks that residents separate their putrescible waste from their bulk waste to ensure proper and timely collection (a four bag maximum, per home, will be picked up each service day). WCA/VF Waste Services will not be collecting carpet or construction materials as regular collection related to this storm event. More details will be published at a later date.

WCA’s customer service line is 281.403.5800; due to the storm, residents may experience a delay in service while calling the line, but all questions and concerns will be addressed.

---

As Brazos Rises, Water Still Safe to Drink; Tennis & Rec Center Accepting Donations Again

---

 Residents may view the County’s interactive map to if they fall under Judge Hebert’s evacuation order here.

Residents can see which roadways within City limit have been closed and areas of high water on the City’s interactive GIS map.

As of 9:15 a.m., the Brazos River’s latest observed value is 53.52’. It has a NEW projected crest of 56’ in the morning on Friday, Sept. 1. Evacuation orders are still in place; residents will be notified through official City communications when the evacuation order has been lifted. See up-to-date river projects and levels here.

As a reminder, Mayor Allen Owen signed an emergency order of voluntary evacuation for portions of Missouri City on Tues., Aug. 29 based on the previous 59’ Brazos River level projected crest; view the document here.

We have a number of shelters set up in place throughout the County for evacuees; a new shelter locatipon has been setup at Stafford High School, 1625 Staffordshire Rd., Stafford, TX 77477. As a reminder, animals must be crated at Red Cross Shelters. Donations can  now be dropped off at the Recreation and Tennis Center, 2701 Cypress Point Dr., we are in need of the following items:

• Blankets & towels
• Pillows
• Air mattresses
• Toiletries (including feminine hygiene products)
• Pre-packaged, non-perishable snacks (including those sensitive to food allergies)
• Clothes 
• Shoes
• Toys/books
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Formula

As of 8:15 a.m., the Brazos River’s latest observed value is 53.45’. It has a projected crest of 57.5’ at 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 1. Evacuation orders are still in place; residents will be notified through official City communications when the evacuation order has been lifted.

---

UPDATE 8/30 8 a.m.: Several vehicles in the Missouri City area were flooded out do to Hurricane Harvey. Residents looking to inquire about their vehicles may contact the following towing companies:

• Collision Clinic – 281.261.0124
• Eastside – 281.431.0427
• Quality – 281.431.0427…
• Elite – 281.733.3379
• Gomez – 281.416.9227
• Long – 281.642.3135
• MD Wilson – 281.413.1533
• Tri County – 281.416.8000
• Uptown – 832.689.1657
• Elite – 281.733.3379
• Gomez – 281.416.9227
• Long – 281.642.3135
• MD Wilson – 281.413.1533
• Tri County – 281.416.8000
• Uptown – 832.689.1657

For additional information, residents should call the emergency operations hotline at 281.403.5801.For additional information, residents should call the emergency operations hotline at 281.403.5801.

NRG Center, 1 NRG Park, Houston, TX 77054 is now open for shelter of evacuated residents.

Highway 6 from Lakeshore Harbor Boulevard/Trammel Fresno Rd. to Sienna Ranch Road is now open.

Due to inclement weather conditions, the Ladies Double Social Tournament scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 31 at the Tennis and Rec center has been cancelled. Please contact the Tennis and Recreation Center at 281.403.8637 for tournament updates.

WCA/VF Waste Services collection services were suspended the afternoon of Friday, August 25, 2017, due to the severe weather and flooding caused from Hurricane Harvey.  WCA/VF Waste has been continuing to assess serviceability of the roadways and communities on a day-to-day basis and have been updating customers via their website and email announcement blasts.  If you would like to receive updates via email, please register by sending an email to awilhite@wcamerica.com.

WCA/VF Waste’s mission is to provide the best service possible to communities, and during times like this, it is their goal to collect the putrescible waste first.  This is the material that begins to breakdown and if left uncollected would begin to decompose in the Houston heat. WCA/VF Waste ask that residents separate their putrescible waste from their bulk waste to ensure proper and timely collection (A four bag maximum, per home, will be picked up each service day).  WCA/VF WASTE SERVICES will not be collecting carpet or construction materials as regular collection related to this storm event.

WCA/VF Waste Services made the decision due to severe weather conditions, and safety concerns, to suspend operations for Wednesday, August 30, 2017, and possibly Thursday, August 31, 2017, for the greater Houston area.  Bay City/Wharton/Matagorda County services will not run until the mandatory evacuation is lifted.  As the storm dissipates and the streets clear through the Greater Houston Area, WCA/VF Waste anticipate site operations resuming Friday, September 1, 2017.

Please note, suspended services due to this storm event will not be made up or pushed to another service day.  Safety is WCA/VF Waste Services number one concern; they hope everyone is safe during this time. Thank you for your patience and continued trust in WCA/VF Waste Services.

---

A list of Harvey Resources/FAQ’s is available on the City’s website, www.missouricitytx.gov, and the City’s Emergency Management website, www.missouricityready.com.

Residents with additional questions may call the citizen hotline at 281.403.5801 while the EOC remains activated; residents should use the hotline to report any damage to their property.

To receive news and alerts on flood safety, road closures and other emergency management issues, visit www.MissouriCityReady.com, the City’s official emergency management website; follow us @MissouriCityEM and @MissouriCityTX on Twitter, follow us on Facebook—fb/MissouriCityTX, Instagram and Snapchat—@MissouriCityTX, visit www.missouricitytx.gov, tune into 1690 AM, and watch Missouri City Television (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-verse).