Residents Urged to Document Flood Damage

Kinney County residents are being asked to document damage caused by recent flooding. Even small reports can help local and state officials understand how much damage took place across the county. Local officials met with representatives from the Texas Division of Emergency Management, also known as TDEM, over the weekend. The meeting focused on a state damage survey called iSTAT. The name stands for the Individual State of Texas Assessment Tool. The online survey allows people to report damage to homes, rental property, businesses, farms and ranches.

Link: damage.tdem.texas.gov

The reports help officials see where damage happened and how serious it was. This is important in a rural county like Kinney County, where homes and ranches may be many miles apart. Damage that is not reported may not be counted. A flooded room, damaged fence, washed-out road entrance or ruined piece of farm equipment may seem small by itself. When many residents report damage, however, those reports can show the full size of the disaster. That information may help local and state officials decide whether more help is needed. It may also support later requests for state or federal disaster aid.

Residents should include the correct property location, a clear description of the damage and several photographs. Photos should show the damage from more than one angle when possible. TDEM representatives also confirmed that information submitted through iSTAT is not open to the public. The information is not released to insurance companies or insurance agencies. Residents should still contact their own insurance company if they have coverage. An iSTAT report is not an insurance claim.

The survey is also not an application for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Small Business Administration. Filing a report does not guarantee money or other assistance. The purpose of iSTAT is to document what happened. Local officials received training on how to help residents complete the survey. Kinney County Judge John Paul Schuster is expected to release a schedule for residents who need help at the Kinney County Library. That help may be useful for people who do not have internet service, have trouble using the online form or need help uploading photographs. Residents should avoid filing more than one report for the same property. Duplicate reports can make the totals less accurate.

The most important step is to report the damage. Kinney County cannot show the true effect of the flood unless residents help document what happened. Reporting damage gives local and state officials a clearer picture and helps make sure rural losses are not overlooked.