Winter Storm Uri Recovery Resources

Last week, Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc coast-to-coast as record snow, ice, and cold temperatures blanketed much of the nation. Here, in Texas, millions were left without power as the power grid that supplied electricity to much of the state failed amid growing demand. Not only did residents face power outages, they had to confront water shortages from burst or frozen pipes and water mains and empty shelves at grocery stores. Fortunately, power has been restored, but for many, there is still much more to be done.

For those requiring assistance or simply looking for answers to some questions they might have, the librarians at Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library have compiled a list of helpful disaster relief resources:

TexasLawHelp.org - Winter Strom Uri - Disaster Relief and Recovery - Users can find information on submitting a homeowners insurance claim, answers for common questions people have about disasters, steps they can take to recover from the disaster, and avoiding disaster scams. There are also links to legal organizations and other helpful groups, such as the American Red Cross and the National Consumer Law Center.

ReadyHarris.org - Winter Weather Recovery Resources - ReadyHarris.org, the web portal for Harris County, has a page devoted to winter weather recovery resources, such as the latest news and updates and links for applying for federal disaster assistance, reporting price gouging in the county, and a Houston Food Bank Finder. The website also provides some data on where residents can find supplies. Visitors to the website also being asked to complete a survey documenting any damage they sustained.

State Bar of Texas - Disaster Relief Resources - The State Bar of Texas has a toll-free legal hotline, 800-504-7030, to connect low-income residents with legal aid providers. The hotline is available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. There is also a guide to help people understand FEMA. There are also presentations about replacing lost documents, insurance help, renters rights, and scams and price gouging. Some disaster relief contacts are also provided.

DisasterAssistance.gov - People looking to apply for disaster assistance can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov. The website also provides a personalized list of possible resources for assistance. Users can also search for federal disaster relief by category or agency.

Harris County Attorney - If you suspect that you were the victim of price gouging, visit the website of the Harris County Attorney to find information about what you can do and how you can file a complaint.

Houston Bar Association - The public can find general disaster recovery information and assistance, information about specific issues, and information about further help from the Houston Bar Association and its affiliates. There are also resources for attorneys.

For additional resources, please visit the Law Library’s Disaster Recovery Resources webpage.

Our "Nation's Recordkeeper"

No doubt, mostly everyone has heard of the Library of Congress, the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States and largest library in the world with millions of items in its vast collection. But what about the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)? NARA is a special library and brands itself as “the nation’s recordkeeper.” While the LOC’s collection consists primarily of books, recordings, photographs, and manuscripts, NARA’s collection captures documents and materials that were created during the conduct of government business and activities.

Read more

Friday Fun with Facts and Figures

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay.

Even those that do not consider themselves to be “math people” can get excited by statistics and data. They check the standings to see where their favorite sports team falls in the hierarchy of those eligible for the playoffs or scour the box scores to see how many points their fantasy team players garnered for them. When it comes to facts and figures, though, the United States Census Bureau reigns supreme. The Bureau’s raison d’etre is to gather information and synthesize that information into data points that provide a glimpse of who we, as Americans, are.

Despite its early temporary iteration in the 1790s, authorized under various Census Acts and Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, the current Census Bureau as a permanent office did not take shape until 1902 with An Act to Provide for a Permanent Census Office. The Census Office originally operated within and under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, but oversight was transferred to the Department of Commerce and Labor in 1903. The Bureau continues today under the Department of Commerce.

The stated mission of the Bureau is “to serve as the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy.” To accomplish its mission, the Bureau conducts not only a decennial census but also other surveys, such as the American Community Survey, the Census of Governments, and the Economic Census. The data gathered from these surveys are important tools in determining how to distribute Congressional seats; planning where community services are needed; providing necessary funding to local, state, and tribal governments; and providing Age Search information for genealogical purposes.

Census.gov, the Bureau’s website, is the hub for all sorts of facts and figures compiled by the Bureau as the result of all of its surveys and censuses. Visitors to the site have access to data, news, and updates about various demographic-related topics, such as age and sex, education, families and living arrangements, income and poverty, and race. There is an interesting feature, America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers, that more fully discusses and explains some of the data collected. A recent article talked about the declining marriage and divorce rate in the United States and how the numbers in individual states compared to the national figure. New to the website is a COVID-19 Interactive Data Hub and Other Resources where users can find community resilience estimates, business formation statistics, demographic and economic analyses, and COVID-19 impact planning reports for each individual state and its counties. On the landing page, there is also a USA and World Population Clock that keeps track of population changes based on short-term projections. Under the About Us tab, there is a link to History. There, users can find information about the history of the agency as well as information about its programs. Of particular interest is the Through the Decades tab where users are treated to pop culture and fast facts for each decade in which the census was taken as well as an index of questions asked in that census period.

Amid the pandemic, it’s easy to forget that 2020 was a census year. If you are interested in checking out data and statistics about our nation, visit Census.gov. Through its data-collection efforts, the Bureau helps to put a face on those statistics and shows that our country is so much more than just numbers.

Acknowledging Native Land

Image Credit: Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

Image Credit: Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

As members of the local legal community, we are committed to recognizing and addressing the systemic injustices that exist for many of those we serve. We are dedicated, as always -- even during the pandemic -- to providing open and equal access to justice for all. Helping remove the structural barriers that prevent many individuals from receiving the services and information they need to pursue personal justice is part of that mission.

One of the most fundamental obstructions to justice and to a fuller appreciation of and respect for others – particularly Native people -- is a lack of recognition for the very land on which we walk. Native American Heritage Month, which comes to a close at the end November, is the perfect time to start a new journey of understanding, to embrace equity, grow in gratitude for the land we all occupy, and honor the Indigenous people who steward it.

Previously on this blog, we have applauded the efforts of organizations like the American Bar Association, whose Implicit Bias Initiative is designed, in part, to educate and inform the legal community about cultural and structural barriers that impact the delivery of legal services for many people, especially those at the margins.  Today, in a continuation of such a laudable effort, we offer the following additional resources. The organizations linked below explore how we can all work toward achieving an affirming, inclusive, and equitable social ecosystem for all people, and, in particular, those who are native to the North and South American continents.

We conclude the list with a link to a tool that will help you identify, learn about, and acknowledge the Native people whose land we occupy. For example, the land on which the Harris County Law Library sits is home to a number of Indigenous nations, including the Karankawa, Coahuiltecan, Atakapa-Ishak, and the Sana. Enter your address to find the names of the Indigenous people who once tended the land you now occupy. Learning about the culture, language, and heritage of these people is a recommended first step to dismantling systemic injustice against Indigenous communities. We hope the resources provided here help in that effort.