Dear Owners, Agents, and Site Staff;
Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 storm early Thursday morning near Cameron, Louisiana. The storm continues to weaken as it moves inland, but remains destructive with strong winds and heavy rain. Forecasters have warned that it could spawn tornadoes and continue to cause damage to properties in the path of the storm.
By Thursday afternoon, the storm had passed into southern Arkansas with strong winds extending out over 90 miles in all directions. While the storm was expected to diminish to a tropical depression overnight, the threat of heavy rains and flash flooding in central and eastern Arkansas remain a concern with up to 7 inches of rain expected.
Current reports from utility companies show at least 186,000 Texas residents are without power. While widespread damage has already been seen, the full extent will not be known until residents and officials are able to survey the destruction.
As always, SHCC is standing by to help Owners and Agents. For those in the path of the storm, our Call Center team will be contacting you in the coming days to assess any potential damage or resident displacement.
As you begin to assess any damages, please remain mindful of the guidance below, as found in Chapter 38 of the HUD Housing Handbook 4350.1:
Owner/Agents that have tenant displacement must:
- Track displaced residents, and maintain updated contact information, throughout the entire time frame each resident is displaced.
- Keep displaced residents updated regarding Owner/Agent contact information, especially if the office has been damaged and is not in use.
- Update residents on any issues related to their return including the progress of repairs and when they might be able to re-occupy their unit for longer term displacements. (Displaced residents have a right to return to their unit once it is repaired.)
- Prepare a recovery plan and communicate regularly with your HUD Account Executive regarding progress made and milestones reached.
The above is just a small portion of the detailed information outlined in Chapter 38. We encourage you to review the Chapter in full as you're able, and to contact SHCC or HUD if you have questions.
Additional disaster resources:
