South Austin Post-Flood Needs Survey

By: Russell Wilde, Time Warner Cable News Austin

May 04, 2014

Travis Austin Recovery Group is the organization working on the long-term recovery for areas affected by the Halloween floods.

Rosa Villegas is the co-chair of the organization, and her home was also damaged in the floods. Like many others, she remains in limbo.
"My house is still not ready," she said. "It’s still pretty empty. I’m kind of waiting to see what the city is going to decide to do.”

Many of her neighbors are waiting too, and frustration is growing.

“I’ve called seven different times and no one has yet has done me the courtesy to return my call," one resident said.

Starting Friday, the nonprofit group World Renew will go door to door in flood-damaged areas to find out what people still need to fully recover from the flood.
“The most important thing to do is to listen to this neighborhood," Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said. "The more that the neighborhood can speak with one voice based on this important survey, the better off we will be.”

The findings of that survey will be used to help aid organizations identify the needs each residence still has and hopefully find a way meet them.

For Villegas and many others, they need answers.

“There’s just too many questions," she said. "It’s very frustrating, and I can tell that my neighbors are very frustrated. They have a lot of unanswered questions and people not able to provide certain answers because it’s still a work in progress.”

You can learn more about the help that is available at targetingrecovery.org.

You can view the video here.