Buffalo Bayou floods stranding vehicles near Downtown Houston after Beryl came ashore in Texas as a hurricane and dumped heavy rains downtown. (AP Photo/Maria Lysaker)

Residents and business owners in 15 Texas counties that were hard hit by Hurricane Beryl will soon be able to apply for federal dollars to help them cover the costs to repair or replace their homes, federal officials told The Texas Tribune on Friday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency funding will be available to uninsured and underinsured people who live in Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Polk, San Jacinto, Walker, and Wharton counties, said FEMA spokesperson Jaclyn Rothenberg.

Individuals will be able to apply for funding by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App. The quickest way to receive the dollars is often by applying online because of high call volume, Rothenberg said. Registration is expected to open by Saturday morning.

The amount of federal funding individuals can receive through FEMA’s program varies. Qualifying individuals can receive “serious needs assistance,” which is a $750 payment for emergency supplies such as food, medicine and baby formula. Separate claims can be submitted to receive support to repair homes.

“There’s a whole series of questions we ask people to get them the maximum amount of support,” Rothenberg said.

The maximum amount FEMA can provide to an individual for repairs is $42,500, according to statutory guidelines passed by Congress. People cannot receive disaster and insurance assistance for the same damages. Insured Texans should first file claims through their existing policies before applying for FEMA assistance.

FEMA reformed its federal assistance policies this year, allowing people who are underinsured to receive federal assistance if their insurance policy does not cover the full extent of their damages.

The state could request funding for additional counties affected by Beryl, which hit Texas early Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane and knocked out power for more than 2.5 million people. Gov. Greg Abbott said in a Thursday press release that additional counties may be requested once damage assessments are complete.

The announcement comes after President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration on Tuesday for damage sustained from Beryl in 67 counties. That declaration was the first step in unlocking federal dollars and resources to support storm recovery efforts.

FEMA offers two main types of assistance: public assistance and individual assistance. Public assistance supports local governments in rebuilding or repairing infrastructure, such as roads, bridges or schools while individual assistance helps affected people jumpstart their own recovery.