Federal Gulf Coast Response To Hurricanes Katrina And Rita: Oct. 6, 2005
Release Date: October 6, 2005
Release Number: 1603-065
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in conjunction with state and local governments, other federal and voluntary groups continue supporting recovery efforts for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
- Nationwide, close to one million households have received hurricane disaster assistance totaling more than $3.1 billion. To register, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY); or register online at www.fema.gov .
- More than 400,000 applications for Transitional Housing have been approved for close to
$1 billion. Transitional Housing Assistance helps hurricane victims find safe, suitable and sufficient housing as soon as possible. The program streamlines the process, speeding assistance while still maintaining economic accountability with the public.
- There are 44,211 evacuees of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in shelters in 14 states. This is down from a high of 273,000 evacuees in shelters.
- More than 40 million meals and snacks have been provided by the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.
- To date, 13 states reported more than 730,000 disaster victim households signed up for more than $334 million in food stamp benefits.
- Teams of special agents from several federal government agencies are investigating potentially fraudulent claims from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. To make an anonymous report, call the toll-free Hurricane Relief Fraud Hotline, 866-720-5721. The lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. Information can also be e-mailed to dhsoighotline@dhs.gov .
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003
Last Modified: Friday, 07-Oct-2005 07:59:09