Letter to William "Brock" Long, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - Request Spanish Speaking FEMA Representatives for Adequate Assistance

Letter

Dear Administrator Long,

First and foremost, we would like to thank you for all the work you have done to bring necessary assistance to areas of South Texas devastated by the severe weather and flooding that began on June 19, 2018. Please know that by helping our communities rebuild and recover from all that was lost, you have impacted countless lives for the better.

With that said, we must bring to your attention reports we have received that FEMA representatives sent to the Rio Grande Valley to help residents claim assistance do not speak Spanish. Just like other federal agencies serving this community, your staff should be able to effectively communicate with its residents. While it is our understanding that the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) do in fact have Spanish speaking FEMA representatives, we have also received complaints that other FEMA representatives do not speak Spanish. We would appreciate you looking into this matter.

Please understand that many families lost invaluable possessions in this flooding and are attempting to rebuild their homes, businesses, and history. Texas homeowners insurance policies do not cover any flood damages. As such, we urge FEMA to provide representatives that can speak Spanish, or send translators, so that they may adequately serve these residents of South Texas in their time of need. We want to avoid repeating the mistakes made during the handling of cases after Hurricane Dolly.

Again, thank you for all you have done. If there is anything our teams can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to contact us at (202) 225-2531 (Gonzalez), (202) 225-9901 (Vela), or (202) 225-1640 (Cuellar).

Sincerely,

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