Editor’s Note: The State Bar of Texas is providing a daily collection of important links, blog posts, and media stories to keep its members and the public informed of the latest news and resources related to Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery efforts.
Important Harvey Links
If you are an attorney who has been adversely affected or wish to assist a colleague, please take a moment to complete the State Bar of Texas’ Hurricane Harvey assistance survey.
If you would like to donate money to the hurricane relief effort in Texas, you can give through the Texas Bar Foundation by clicking here.
If you are an attorney who wants to help by giving brief advice, limited-scope service, or full representation to Harvey survivors, please complete the form at texasbar.com/attorneyvolunteer.
State Bar Disaster Resources for Attorneys — Information on this page includes recovery plans, court closures, court orders, and other items.
State Bar Disaster Resources the Public — The State Bar of Texas legal hotline — (800) 504-7030 — helps people find answers to basic legal questions and connects them with local legal aid providers following declared disasters.
Latest Harvey News
FEMA auctioned disaster trailers before Harvey made landfall — The federal government auctioned off disaster-response trailers at fire-sale prices just before Harvey devastated southeast Texas, reducing an already diminished supply of mobile homes ahead of what could become the nation’s largest-ever housing mission. — Houston Chronicle
Coastal Bend communities begin long rebuild after Harvey — Hurricane Harvey decimated communities along the Coastal Bend and left large swaths of the Lone Star State underwater when it roared ashore about three weeks ago. — Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Houston lawyer Mostyn talks Harvey, Irma and how new laws could affect storm-related lawsuits — Mostyn, a top Democratic donor who has made a fortune suing insurance companies on behalf of homeowners after hurricanes, assesses the legal landscape after hurricanes Harvey and Irma. — The Texas Tribune
Harvey raises issues of price gouging, unwelcome boats in the pool — The information in this column is intended to provide a general understanding of the law, not as legal advice. (Subscription required) — Houston Chronicle
Professional clothing drive seeks to outfit women affected by Hurricane Harvey — As women return to work after Hurricane Harvey, some who were affected find themselves without professional attire. The Association of Women Attorneys is sponsoring a professional clothing drive accepting donations of professional women’s attire—clothing, shoes, and handbags. — Texas Bar Blog
His home flooded, the Port Arthur mayor puts his city first — On a winding street of older brick homes in the center of town, only one house is without a mountain of debris on the front yard. The house, a two-story at the end of the cul-de-sac, had not been spared by the recent storm, which submerged three-quarters of this coastal industrial city. The homeowner, Derrick Ford Freeman, has just not had time to worry about his own affairs. He is the mayor of Port Arthur. — The New York Times
Union: Thousands of firefighters didn’t work during Harvey — Thousands of Houston firefighters were told to stay home at the height of Harvey’s flooding even as calls for help overwhelmed 911 dispatchers, the president of the city’s firefighters union said Friday. — Houston Chronicle
A first look at the new Red Cross shelter for Harvey evacuees — The city is moving people out of the George R. Brown Convention Center and into other shelters. — KHOU – Houston
As a result of Hurricane Harvey, 600 more Texas prisoners getting AC — As Hurricane Harvey approached Texas, state prison officials moved thousands of inmates to higher ground. But now that the storm has passed, about 600 of the evacuees gained protection from hot conditions in their cells thanks to an ongoing federal lawsuit. — The Texas Tribune
Stranger helps victims navigate FEMA maze — Already exhausted from trying to put the pieces of their lives back together, some of those affected by Hurricane Harvey are connecting with strangers to take on the Federal Emergency Management Agency. — Victoria Advocate
Houston Bar volunteers respond to need for legal help after Harvey — Nearly 900 members of the Houston Bar Association have volunteered or registered to volunteer in the future to help those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Attorneys are answering calls for a daily LegalLine program; staffing legal assistance booths at shelters, Disaster Recovery Centers, and legal clinics; and volunteering to represent low-income residents with legal problems related to the storm through the HBA’s Houston Volunteer Lawyers. — Texas Bar Blog