SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- In just one month, state and federal officials have approved more than $23 million in disaster recovery funds to help the nearly 20,000 individuals who have applied for help following the Oct. 17-31 floods in south and central Texas.

Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (DEM) today released the following figures on the status of disaster recovery assistance in the 36 declared counties as of the close of business Sat., Nov. 21:

• 19,844 calls were received at the National Teleregistration Center (1-800-462-9029, TTY 1-800-462-7585). Those who suffered flood losses called to register for federal and state aid, including housing assistance, disaster unemployment assistance, low-interest loans, income tax and social security assistance, veteran's assistance, serious needs and necessary expenses, and flood insurance information.
  
  Following is a list of 36 declared counties and the number of applications received from those counties:

  Atascosa	34	Fayette	39	Matagorda	28
  Austin	127	Fort Bend	117	Medina	11
  Bastrop	219	Galveston	64	Montgomery	463
  Bexar	4,728	Goliad	61	Nueces	528
  Blanco	11	Gonzales	613	Refugio	55
  Brazoria	56	Guadalupe	3,127	San Jacinto	101
  Burleson	85	Harris	705	San Patricio	21
  Caldwell	466	Hays	1,051	Travis	362
  Calhoun	53	Jackson	20	Victoria	1,190
  Colorado	81	Jefferson	23	Waller	284
  Comal	2,071	Karnes	99	Wharton	729
  DeWitt	1,607	Liberty	95	Wilson	416

  
  
  
• 18,810 registered individuals contacted FEMA's Helpline (1-800-525-0321, TTY 1-800-660-8005) with questions about the status of their disaster assistance application, filling out SBA forms or ways to rebuild to reduce future damages.
  
  
• Recovery Centers after they had registered for assistance. The centers give flood victims the opportunity to speak face-to-face with recovery specialists about disaster assistance and ask questions about their application. Seven centers remain open as of Nov. 23.
  
  
• 1,459 families and individuals have been app...