KERR COUNTY — The Federal Emergency Management Agency designated 33 counties in the Hill Country and South Texas for assistance following the July 2026 floods. This designation initiates eligibility for federal aid and establishes a formal appeals process for claimants who disagree with initial assistance decisions.

The counties designated for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance are Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Brewster, Comal, Crockett, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, Frio, Gillespie, Jim Wells, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Live Oak, Mason, Maverick, Medina, Menard, Pecos, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Wilson, and Zavala. Individuals have 60 days to appeal a Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance decision after receiving it.

An appeal form is included with every Federal Emergency Management Agency decision letter. Federal Emergency Management Agency appeals require submission of estimates for repairs, bills, receipts, property titles, deeds, and documentation demonstrating the need for additional assistance.

Federal Emergency Management Agency appeal documents must include the applicant's full name, current phone number, and address. Applicants must also list the address of the disaster-damaged home. The FEMA application number and the disaster number must appear on every page of the submitted documents.

Receipts, bills, and estimates for businesses submitted in Federal Emergency Management Agency appeals must include the business’s name and verifiable contact information. The Federal Emergency Management Agency requires written permission from an individual if an appeal is submitted on their behalf by someone else.

Federal Emergency Management Agency appeals and supporting documents can be uploaded online to a DisasterAssistance.gov account. Applicants may also submit documents in person at a Disaster Recovery Center. Mailed appeals must be sent to FEMA, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055. Documents can also be faxed to 800-827-8112 with attention to the FEMA Individuals & Households Program.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency expects to issue a decision on an appeal within 90 days. The agency notifies residents of appeal decisions through mail or a DisasterAssistance.gov account. The Federal Emergency Management Agency Helpline at 800-621-3362 answers questions regarding the appeal process.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency previously designated 21 counties for Public Assistance and 10 counties for Individual Assistance under disaster declaration 4879-DR-TX in July 2025, following severe storms and flooding in Texas. In 2025, the agency’s disaster assistance program for Texas allocated $124 million in Individual Assistance grants to 12,500 households affected by severe storms.

During the 2026 Texas floods, the FEMA Helpline had an average wait time of 25 minutes for callers, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report on disaster response efficiency. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is a United States disaster response agency that was established in 1979.