CYPRESS, Texas — Several storms have hit the Houston area this spring, and one homeowner called KHOU 11 for help when she didn’t have enough money to make a car payment and her bank wouldn’t work with her.
“It looked like a disaster zone," said Joye Runfola, who was surprised by how much damage there was in her neighborhood. “We’ve got shingles and stuff everywhere and roof nails, so just be careful.”
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado hit Cypress. Runfola applied for FEMA disaster assistance but was denied because she has insurance. Now, she’s struggling to make repairs and keep up with her bills. She got a notice her student loans were postponed due to the disaster but said Ally Financial, who finances her Jeep, would not give her any leeway.
“They basically told me that because my ZIP code, they were not notified by the federal government that my ZIP code of 77433 is a federally declared disaster area, there’s nothing they can do," Runfola said.
We asked Jake Peters with the Red Cross how an area is designated as a disaster.
“What we look at is the federal declaration that identifies the counties that have been impacted by the disaster," Peters said. “Typically, we see a federal declaration for a county, not just a specific ZIP code within that county.”
In this case, seven counties including Harris, where Runfola lives, were declared by FEMA in the disaster.
“We do see that most creditors are willing to work with our families that have been impacted," said Peters, who encourages storm victims to be persistent.
Runfola hopes seeing the damage will change their minds.
“It’s unfortunate, but I’ve just accepted it, that God’s going to make a way, that’s just how it’s going to be," Runfola said. "That’s the only thing I can do is give it to God and things work out the way they need to work out.”
We reached out to Ally Financial. Here is the statement they sent Tuesday morning:
“Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention. We are committed to doing right by our customers and helping them when they experience a natural disaster, like the recent tornadoes in Texas. We apologize for Ms. Runfola’s experience. We’re working to make it right."
Since our interview with Runfola, though, she said she got a call saying Ally is now accepting her address as in the disaster zone.
The Red Cross recommends filling out an application and a FEMA application for help. They can help you with documentation to provide to your bank.
The Red Cross also has a recovery guide with resources to help you as you recover from a disaster.
If you have a problem, Grace Can Help.
Call her at 713-521-HELP or email GraceCanHelp@khou.com. You can also fill out the form below.
