Hundreds of families still in Galveston hotels after Harvey

GALVESTON, Texas – Federal officials say nearly 800 families in a coastal Texas county remain in hotels five months after Hurricane Harvey destroyed or damaged their homes.

The Galveston County Daily News reports that January is normally a slow month for local hotels but many say they’re at capacity. It’s unclear how many residents in other counties are still in hotels after being displaced by the storm.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency offers transitional housing for people displaced by natural disasters. Hotels can accept FEMA vouchers that pay about $100 a night in Galveston County and other hard-hit areas.

Harvey made landfall in Texas on Aug. 25 near Corpus Christi, which is about 200 miles (322 kilometres) southwest of Galveston. The storm’s destructive winds were followed by days of heavy rain that caused devastating flooding.

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Information from: The Galveston County Daily News, http://www.galvnews.com