Our Hearts Are with You, Houston
Author: TAPS
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in our TAPS family who is affected by the historic flooding in Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey. We want to do all we can to lessen the added strain on our families. Please know that we have a dedicated, experienced, and knowledgeable Casework Team standing by to deliver support and assistance to all of our surviving military family members.
Photo Courtesy Harris County Sheriff's Office
Our Casework Team can assist during natural disasters by connecting you to resources. We have long-standing partnerships with government, private, volunteer and charitable organizations that can help with military benefits and entitlements. We can assist with financial, education, short-term emergency needs and replacing damaged official military documents. We are here to help during this difficult and trying time for you and your family.
If you are in an area which is flooded or threatening to flood, please secure any important documents (insurance papers, birth certificates, DD214, DIC paperwork, deed to your house, social security cards, medical records, driver's license, credit cards, etc.). If you can get these items into a Ziploc or other waterproof bag, that is ideal to keep them dry. Consider which personal effects may be irreplaceable and do your best to get those to the highest dry point in your house as well. If evacuation become necessary, take your important documents with you.
We invite you to contact our National Military Survivor Helpline 24/7 at 800-959-8277 or email at Casework@taps.org with your questions or concerns.
As a result of communications with our partners and those working the relief efforts, please review the information below for important safety tips, disaster assistance, and live updates on local conditions. As more information becomes available on local sheltering and staging for relief supplies, we will be diligent to get that out to those in the affected area.
You are all in our hearts and your TAPS Family sends to you a love stronger than any storm. You are not alone.
FEMA - Key Safety Tips
- Continue to listen to local officials.
- Only call 911 if you have an immediate need for medical attention or evacuation assistance.
- If you can't get through to 911 on first try, keep calling.
- Another option is to place a call to one of five numbers for the Houston Command Center of the United States Coast Guard. The numbers are:
281-464-4851
281-464-4852
281-464-4853
281-464-4854
282-464-4855 - Don't drive on flooded roadways. Remember - turn around, don't drown.
- If you are in a high rise building and need to shelter in place, go to the first or second floor hallways or interior rooms. You want to stay on floors above floodwater or storm surge, but do not go to the highest floors due to wind impacts.
- If you are under a tornado warning, seek shelter immediately in the center of a small interior room (closet, interior hallway) on the lowest level of a sturdy building. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.
Disaster Assistance – Access to Disaster Help and Resources
https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
Live Updates
The links give you an idea of what the area looks like in real time and what can be expected in terms of continued weather.