Austin, Texas – Last August, Lenora Long awoke to furniture floating across her apartment. A 73-year-old with serious medical issues and limited mobility, she was forced out of her apartment when Hurricane Harvey moved in.

Long found temporary lodging in a hotel paid for by FEMA, but she had trouble locating a home that was affordable on her fixed income. A local nonprofit offered a seniors-only apartment, but Long couldn’t accept because she relies on her two adult children for live-in care.

“It was very stressful,” said Long, who lives in Harris County. “I had to go to the hospital a couple of times.”

Her stress was finally relieved when she connected with a FEMA disability integration adviser. After he reviewed her options, Long and her children decided to pool their income together to apply for housing.

“They gave me insight into the things most helpful to me,” Long said. “They kept in touch, and it made a difference.”

On May 6, Long moved out of the hotel and into a new place with her children. She said her disability integration adviser had made a difficult recovery easier, and she was grateful for his help.

“He gave me the means to get help,” she said. “I’m very happy to keep the family together.”

FEMA’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination was established to ensure emergency management, planning and disaster-response activities are inclusive for individuals with disabilities.

“The Long family story underscores the importance of FEMA’s support services which go beyond financial assistance,” said Paul Morris, incoming director of FEMA’s Texas Recovery Office.

Older adult survivors and those with disabilities or access or functional needs can call FEMA’s Helpline, 800-621-3362, to find out how disability integration advisers can help.

Help also may be available through local independent living centers or the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s Aging and Disability Resource Center, which can be reached at 855-937-2372 or https://go.usa.gov/xQNNc. To speak with a counselor who can help survivors cope with emotional distress, call the federal Disaster Distress Help Line at 800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746.

For more information on Hurricane Harvey and Texas recovery, visit the Hurricane Harvey disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4332