Business & Community Emergency Recovery Resources

There are multiple state and federal recovery resources available to Texas businesses and communities following a natural disaster or emergency. Companies should also check with their insurance policy providers and local government entities to explore additional options.

Recovery Resources for Small Businesses

• The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has many resources for employers.
  • For those self-employed, TWC offers information on Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
  • A business may also contact the Employer Hotline at (800) 832-9394 (option 4) or (512) 463-2826 or email employerinfo@twc.state.tx.us.
• Workforce Solutions Offices are located in areas around the state and offer resources to both employers and job seekers.
• The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts offers information on filing taxes in the aftermath of a disaster in a declared disaster zone.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers disaster loan assistance in the form of low-interest loans and working capital to help overcome the economic injury of a declared disaster.
  • For help with a specific case, businesses may contact the Virtual Business Recovery Center, open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., CT at (800) 659-2955 or FOCWAssistance@sba.gov.
  • The Lender Match Tool helps businesses find SBA-backed lenders in their area.
• Small Business Development Centers can help businesses with key financial and business planning steps when re-establishing after a disaster.
• Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) can help small businesses obtain affordable credit to recover from disasters.
  • The Texas Micro-Business Disaster Recovery (MBDR) Program, launching Oct. 1, 2024, will provide zero interest loans to eligible CDFIs for purposes of making interest-bearing loans to qualifying micro-businesses that have difficulty in accessing capital following a declared disaster.
• FEMA’s DisasterAssistance.gov webpage helps identify local, county and state resources and emergency management agencies for assistance before and after disasters.
• The Internal Revenue Service offers information on the most recent tax relief provisions for taxpayers affected by disaster situations.

Recovery Resources for Texas Local Government & Economic Development Organizations

• The Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Hazard Mitigation Section helps set up disaster recovery operations and coordinate planning for post-disaster mitigation programs with local officials.
• FEMA offers a guide to grant funds available for pre- and post-emergency or disaster-related projects.
• The U.S. Department of Housting & Urban Affairs provides various disaster resources, from housing counseling to mortgage assistance, and partners with federal and state agencies to help implement disaster recovery assistance.
• U.S. Small Business Administration’s Community Navigator Pilot Program engages with local governments in targeted outreach to small businesses to ensure they have support to access federal relief programs.
• The Community Disaster Loan Program is available to local governments that have been adversely affected by major disasters.