94 persons visit FEMA's temporary office
Deadline for filing claims from recent floods is Aug. 28

John Veach, a FEMA manager assigned to Cherokee County, assists an unidentified man seeking information on flood assistance.

JACKSONVILLE - Approximately 94 persons stopped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's temporary office last week to file claims and gain information following the recent floods.

Those who were unable to stop by in person during the three-day period that FEMA staffed the office will still have more time.

Claims may be filed until Aug. 28.

Almost a dozen FEMA staff experts answered questions and helped applicants navigate telephone prompts to initiate a claim.

"We don't have numbers yet on dollar amounts, but we have fielded telephone inquiries from 185 persons in Cherokee County," said Linda Westcott, public information officer in the Waco field office. "It looks like Cherokee County has already been ap- proved for $255,000 in housing needs, which may also include rental assistance or repairs. More than $4,800 has been approved for other disaster-related needs, such as personal property, clothing and essential needs."

Most of the damage in Cherokee County was concentrated in the northwest quadrant of the county.

Some 25 counties in Texas are eligible for financial assistance.

For more information on filing a claim, call (800) 621- FEMA (3362).

To file a claim with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) because of lost work during the summer flood, call (800) 939-6631.

Local TWC offices serving Cherokee and Smith Counties may also be called for information: (903) 984-8641.

Some of the FEMA representatives assigned to Cherokee County were re-tasked to Minneapolis, where the I-35 bridge collapse over the Mississippi River claimed five lives.