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 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
Along the Texas coast, food banks brace for post-Harvey need — Food banks, pantries and other food access advocates are bracing for increased need in communities that struggled with food insecurity even before Hurricane Harvey — and planning how to meet needs in the months of recovery still ahead. — The Texas Tribune
Mayor, council members clash over questions about debris removal — City Council devolved into a series of shouting matches Wednesday over an agenda item to allocate more money to remove the thousands of piles of Hurricane Harvey debris across Houston, ultimately delaying the proposal over Mayor Sylvester Turner’s strenuous objections. — Houston Chronicle
What lurks in the sludge that Harvey left behind? — All over the Houston area, as Harvey’s floodwaters receded, they left behind sludge – a mix of grit and debris picked up from streets and sewers and eroded bayou banks. Though that sediment sometimes appears to be as clean as sand — the large deposits in Buffalo Bayou Park are being described as “beaches” or “dunes” — it’s definitely dirty, say experts. (Subscription required) — Houston Chronicle
Harvey created Texas’ biggest unemployment spike in decades
Last week, we learned that the Texas Workforce Commission had received a huge number of claims for Hurricane Harvey-related unemployment insurance, causing delays in processing that have created some hardship for people left short on cash. (Subscription required) — Houston Chronicle
Trump administration resumes immigrant arrests in Houston after Harvey — President Donald Trump’s administration announced Wednesday that it had resumed the apprehension of immigrants here illegally following a pause in enforcement during Hurricane Harvey rescue and recovery efforts. — Houston Chronicle
Homeowners join lawsuit against Crosby chemical plant that burned after Hurricane Harvey — Eleven additional plaintiffs and a new defendant have been added to a lawsuit against the company whose manufacturing plant experienced a series of chemical fires as a result of floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey. — The Texas Tribune
Abbott, Paxton send Trump letter requesting FEMA funding for churches — The letter comes after Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, along with Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri and Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, introduced an act to make houses of worship eligible for FEMA Public Assistance program grants. — The Texas Tribune