By David Ball
david.ball@panews.com
Good news came on Tuesday.
Jeff Branick, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said at 5:44 a.m. on Tuesday the county was approved for direct housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Branick announced Monday at the commissioners court meeting he was working on getting Jefferson County placed on the list.
“Hopefully we’ll see some movement,” he said then. “Some barges should soon be here with residential houses to Port Arthur.”
Derrick Freeman, mayor of Port Arthur, said the two barges are en route from Baton Rouge and can house 300 each. They will be docked at the boardwalk behind city hall within 48 hours of Tuesday. Residents will remain at Thomas Jefferson Middle School until the barges arrive in Port Arthur.
One thousand apartment units were damaged and 250 occupants displaced.
Freeman gave an update on the recovery progress via social media earlier on Tuesday morning:
He started off by writing the past two weeks have been difficult for everyone, but so many have come together to help each other and the city will bounce back.
“Port Arthur has never had the capacity to shelter thousands of people within our city limits. But I felt we needed to keep our folks close to their home and property,” Freeman wrote.
He added that he contacted U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and they were able to get FEMA to designate Jefferson County for Disaster Housing Assistance late last night. This will open it up for residents to obtain manufactured homes, travel trailers, etc.
Accommodations are headed this way for residents who are either in the shelter at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, evicted apartment tenants or who evacuated to Garland and Dallas on two floating barges that can house 600. Three meals a day will be served as well as laundry operations and other amenities.
An emergency contractor was in place before Harvey hit. The contractor has 10 double trucks with another 15 double trucks to be here by the weekend.
“I felt it still is not enough, so the contractor has agreed to hire our Port Arthur businesses that have the machines and insurance to help,” Freeman wrote. “Please inbox me the name of your company and what machines you have access to and I will forward you the contractors contacts. I also asked that while we clear the debris around our schools and firehouses, that we have a presence in every corner of the city. We are coming.”
FEMA has agreed to back date its National Flood Insurance Plan and offer a grace period of 120 days.
“So if your policy was to renew July 24 through Sept. 27, 2017 they are allowing coverage if you go ahead and make your missed payment. Hope this helps some families,” he stated.
Freeman concluded by writing there are many hurting now. He, the city council and city staff are doing everything to make the people of Port Arthur whole as much as possible.
“Many of us have lost everything, but we know if we work hard for our city and our inheritances our blessing will follow,” he wrote. “When you see a city worker please give them a pat on the back or a thank you because they’ve really stepped up in spite of their own devastation to make sure we hold our property values and keep our citizens in PA.”