Alabama Two Months Later: Katrina Aid Nears a Half Billion
Individual Assistance Tops 108.8 Million
Release Date: October 27, 2005
Release Number: 1605-085
» More Information on Alabama Hurricane Katrina
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- When the worst natural disaster in the nation's history struck the Gulf Coast in late August, state and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials knew they would have to work hard to get Alabama quickly on the road to recovery. Officials announced two months later that they are approaching one-half billion in aid to Katrina survivors.
Disaster Response Highlights:
- Public Works and Engineering
Several government agencies including the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Transportation, General Services Administration and Department of Defense personnel worked together to purchase, transport and distribute the following life-critical commodities;
- 12.3 million pounds of ice
- 111.6 million gallons of water
- 2.2 million meals-ready-to-eat
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The Corps removed more than 1.6 million cubic yards of debris from 4 disaster-declared counties. Another 1.4 million cubic yards were removed throughout the 22 counties under the Public Assistance program.
- U.S. Forest Service
Personnel initiated a special project to help re-locate displaced residents and evacuees housed in local hotels and shelters in designated and undesignated counties.
- Environmental Protection Agency
Personnel oversees the removal of vessels, fuel tanks and other debris from sensitive coastal areas.
- Mass Care
Only 2 shelters remain open, in Baldwin and Franklin Counties , housing 21 persons -- down from a high of 5,421 persons in 73 shelters.
- Meals and snacks served by the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army totaled 705,000
- Food stamps were issued by the State of Alabama to 1,187 families
Disaster Response Details:
- FEMA approved $78.1 million to 34,000 individuals for housing and $30.8 million to more than 27,000 persons to replace lost or destroyed essential property.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration approved $8.7 million in loans to 242 individuals and $1.7 million to 43 businesses.
- The Public Assistance program for restoring damaged infrastructure obligated $22.1 million to state governments, municipalities, public agencies and eligible non-profit organizations in Alabama as reimbursement for debris removal, emergency protective measures and damage to public property.
- More than $283 million in mission assignments provided for debris removal, crisis counseling and services to preserve life and health.
- More than 112,000 Alabama residents in the disaster-declared counties registered with FEMA for assistance by calling either the toll-free number 800-621-FEMA (3362), the TTY number for hearing- or speech-impaired, 800-462-7585, or online at www.fema.gov.
- Of the 112,000 who registered for aid, 34,173 visited Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) for information about assistance programs or to check on the status of their applications.
- State/FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are located in Bayou La Batre, Birmingham , Livingston and Mobile . Two mobile DRCs travel to outlying counties throughout the state.
- Evacuees from neighboring states currently using Alabama registration addresses number 26,711.
- A new travel trailer park in Bayou La Batre that will accommodate 100 families, is filling up quickly.
- Statewide, approximately 6,076 individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina are residing in various forms of interim housing including travel trailers in state parks, on private property and commercial sites, campgrounds, RV sites and two temporary housing facilities in Birmingham and Aniston.
- There are 65 Community Relations specialists, including 9 bilingual specialists, in the field working directly with evacuees in shelters, hotels and interim housing facilities.
- To date, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has disbursed $16 million in flood damage claims.
- Out of 88,516 inspections for housing damage, 86,871 or 98 percent are completed.
- More than 2.7 million cubic yards of storm-caused debris has been collected statewide out of a total statewide estimate of 4 million cubic yards.
The Alabama county-by-county breakdown:
County |
Applications |
Baldwin (County) |
7,437 |
Choctaw (County) |
2,660 |
Clarke (County) |
2,554 |
Greene (County) |
1,501 |
Hale (County) |
683 |
Marengo (County) |
765 |
Mobile (County) |
87,065 |
Pickens (County) |
1,366 |
Sumter (County) |
1,926 |
Tuscaloosa (County) |
688 |
Washington (County) |
3,158 |
TOTALS: |
109,803 |
Last Modified: Friday, 28-Oct-2005 17:23:08