Weekly Katrina Response Update For Mississippi
Release Date: October 14, 2005
Release Number: 1604-073
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JACKSON, Miss. - Federal and state disaster officials provided the following summary of the ongoing assistance effort:
- Temporary Housing – 6,156 travel trailers and mobile homes have been placed on private and commercial sites and are now occupied; 1,352 persons are on board a cruise ship being used as temporary shelter. FEMA estimates that more than 17,900 people are being housed to date in Mississippi through these two initiatives.
- FEMA funding is responsible for 29, 214 temporary roofs installed, keeping an estimated 79,000 people to date in their own homes.
- $559 million in grants has been given to Mississippians affected by the disaster.
- $482.2 million in Housing Assistance grants for minimal home repairs, direct housing and temporary rental assistance not covered by insurance.
- $76.8 million in grants has been disbursed for necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster. This may include medical, dental, funeral, personal property, transportation, moving and storage expenses.
- 489,048 individuals in the 47 disaster-declared Mississippi counties have called the toll-free 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) and the TTY 1-800-462-7585 for Individual Assistance. Another 131,805 disaster victims have visited one of the 27 currently open Disaster Recovery Centers.
- To date, 644 disaster loans totaling more than $46.5 million have been approved for Mississippians by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance Program.
- 11 million cubic yards of debris have been removed, enough to fill more than 100 football fields stacked 50 feet high.
- 134,780 home inspections have been completed by FEMA inspectors. If an applicant is also being considered for an SBA loan, he or she will receive a second inspection by SBA.
- 1,058 FEMA and 1,709 personnel from other agencies are currently deployed throughout Mississippi working on recovery efforts.
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: Tuesday, 18-Oct-2005 13:16:12