Hurricane Rita Disaster Assistance And Loans Top $839.5 Million; $650 Million In Public Assistance Reimbursed
Release Date: April 7, 2006
Release Number: 1606-186
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Rita
AUSTIN, Texas -- Families and individuals who suffered damage from Hurricane Rita have been approved to receive more than $839 million in assistance from the U. S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The deadline for Hurricane Rita and Katrina evacuees to register for disaster assistance is April 10, 2006.
Recovery Services Summary as of April 6, 2006:
- 479,762 individuals have registered for Individual Assistance.
- $589,839,663 has been approved through the Individuals and Household Program. Of that, FEMA has provided $503,686,560 in Individual Assistance and $86,153,103 in Other Needs Assistance.
- $249,666,300 in loans has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Rita in Texas.
- $4,858,980 has been disbursed in Disaster Unemployment Assistance; 7,667 claims have been approved. On March 6, President Bush signed legislation that extended the benefit period to June 3. Disaster Unemployment Assistance is traditionally available for a period of up to 13 weeks from the disaster declaration date.
- 421,148 applicants have visited the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC). There are five DRCs in Texas. Individuals affected by Hurricane Rita may go to any DRC to have questions answered about disaster assistance in person. To locate a DRC in your area call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 and select the helpline option.
- 345,220 home inspections have been requested. There are 24 inspectors in the field. At the peak of operations, more than 900 inspectors were in the field.
- 4,720 applicants have requested travel trailers. Some 3,945 households have leased 4,217 units. 280 have been returned to FEMA for re-use from families no longer needing travel trailers for temporary housing.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, cities and counties have hauled away an estimated 8.71 million cubic yards of debris. Debris removal under these contracts is 100 percent complete.
- $650 million in Public Assistance has been obligated to Texas by FEMA. The funds will be used by the State of Texas to reimburse local governments and agencies for eligible and documented debris removal, temporary sheltering, interim housing and emergency protective measures associated with Hurricane Rita.
- Homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage from the hurricanes may register for State and federal disaster assistance by calling the FEMA tele-registration number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired, or online at www.fema.gov.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 16-May-2006 12:30:23