Hurricane Rita Disaster Assistance And Loans Top $934.7m;
$751.2M in Public Assistance Goes to Texas for Rita and Katrina damage reimbursements
Release Date: May 26, 2006
Release Number: 1606-215
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Rita
AUSTIN, Texas -- Families and individuals who suffered damage from Hurricane Rita have been approved to receive more than $934.7 million in disaster assistance, including grants from the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Recovery Services Summary as of close of business May 25, 2006:
- 479,930 individuals have registered for Individual Assistance.
- $597,666,179 has been approved through the Individuals and Household Program. Of that, FEMA has provided $507,831,608 in Individual Assistance and $89,834,570 in Other Needs Assistance. The State of Texas provided 25 percent or $22,458,642 of the Other Needs Assistance.
- $337,069,900 in loans has been approved by the SBA for individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Rita in Texas. Of that amount, $238,853,300 was approved for home loans, $86,707,400 for business loans and $11,509,200 for economic injury loans.
- $5,413,282 has been disbursed in Disaster Unemployment Assistance; 7,900 claims have been approved.
- 348,330 home inspections have been requested. Of these, 99.9 percent have been completed and 117 inspections remain. There are 21 inspectors in the field. At the peak of operations, more than 900 inspectors were in the field.
- 4,970 applicants have requested travel trailers. Some 4,222 households have leased 4,514 units (some larger households have multiple trailers). Accessible units with a wider entrance, handrails, and low-step tub entry also are available.
- $751.2 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 Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
Homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage from the hurricanes may check the status of their applications by calling the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), TTY 800-462-7585 for the speech or hearing-impaired, or logging on to 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, 30-May-2006 01:25:13