Disaster Resources for Historic Properties

A damaged house in Jefferson County

The Texas Historical Commission is ready to help property owners, local officials, and state and federal agencies in communities that may be impacted by weather events.

To find information and resources about assistance after a disaster, including funding sources, select the option below that best fits you and your historic property.

 

Technical Preservation Assistance Resources

There are a wide variety of resources that provide practical steps in preparing for and recovering from a disaster. Because these resources are useful for any property owner, regardless of what they own, they are listed together. Learn more about Technical Preservation Assistance.

Hurricane Harvey Disaster Assistance

most recent map image of counties affecting by Harvey

Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the evening of August 25, 2017, near Rockport. Maximum sustained winds in Harvey’s eyewall were 130 mph at that time, making it a Category 4. Wind gust from Harvey near its landfall point topped 100 mph in many locations, leading to widespread destruction of homes and buildings. Pounding waves on top of Harvey’s storm surge inundated parts of the Texas Coastal Bend, resulting in damage in some areas. Harvey was the strongest landfall in this area since Hurricane Carla in September 1961. Harvey’s extreme slow movement August 26–30 kept a surge of moisture into southeast Texas for days resulting in catastrophic flooding. The flooding has caused one of the worst weather disasters in U.S. history. Harvey caused unprecedented damage to Texas’ housing, business, infrastructure, health and social services, the environment, and historic properties. 

  • The National Park Service (NPS) has awarded Texas a $12,318,047 Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund grant for historic preservation projects. The emergency grant program will address damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is managing the grant program for the State of Texas.

  • Applications were accepted from April 9, 2019 to May 24, 2019.  Preliminary awards were made by the Commission in May and July, 2019. No further calls for applications will be made for this grant.

  • Forty-seven projects have been awarded funding and five projects remain on an alternate project list.  The types of projects include recovery and repair of historic properties (i.e., stabilization, restoration, or preservation); survey and inventory of historic-age properties to determine National Register eligibility and degree of damage; and preparedness for future disasters, which includes planning and historic preservation educational activities.

  • Grant recipients include public, private, and nonprofit entities that own historic properties or whose purpose includes historic preservation.

  • The grant program ends on March 31, 2024.

The Texas Hurricane Center has information on hurricane preparation and links to resources.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management’s (TDEM) mission is to support and enhance Texas preparedness for any emergency by managing a comprehensive planning, training and exercise program and be developing products and communication that support the emergency management community. https://tdem.texas.gov/

THC Disaster Relief Contacts

To reach the THC regarding a disaster, please contact:

  • For historic buildings, structures, and landscapes, call the Division of Architecture at 512-463-6094 or send an email to Lisa Hart. 
  • For museums, contact the Museum Services Program at 512-463-6427 or 512-463-5921.
  • For archeological sites, contact the Archeology Division at 512-463-6096.