By The Numbers: FEMA Recovery Update in Louisiana 

Release Date: March 24, 2006
Release Number: 1603-416

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BATON ROUGE, La. - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) remains heavily engaged in long-term hurricane recovery efforts in partnership with the State of Louisiana. Attached is a 'by the numbers' progress update as of March 22, 2006, more than six months following Hurricane Katrina and exactly six months after Hurricane Rita.

2 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were two of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded during the Atlantic Hurricane Season, both making landfall in Louisiana. Both Katrina and Rita intensified to Category 5 storms while in the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall as Category 3 storms. Katrina made landfall on Aug. 29 and Rita followed almost one month later on Sept. 24.
13 13 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) remain open in Louisiana. DRC's are one-stop information centers where victims can learn more about different types of state and federal disaster assistance, including loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners, renters and business owners. More than 747,725 Louisiana residents have been served by FEMA's Disaster Recovery Centers.
565 To date, 565 vessels have been removed by the U.S. Coast Guard, under a FEMA-funded mission assignment. These wrecked vessels, which have been removed and salvaged, will no longer pose a health or safety threat from environmental pollution or impaired navigation.
3,010 There are 3,010 federal housing units occupied by hurricane evacuees in the State of Louisiana. Federal housing or housing vouchers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and others were provided to displaced hurricane victims.
9,611 The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved 9,611 disaster assistance loans for business owners. These loans assist businesses to recover and rebuild following the disaster. Total: $879.9 million.
49,000 FEMA's Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, part of the immediate response and working for a record number of days into the recovery, provided care to 49,000 patients. The teams gave 65,000 immunizations and provided crisis counseling to 5,800 individuals, as well as other medical services. Crisis counseling continues today through state programs reimbursed by FEMA.
63,299 LA Swift, the free emergency bus system between Baton Rouge and New Orleans for displaced residents, has served 63,299 passengers. Beginning on October 31, 2005, it continues to operate seven round trips daily.
81,241 81,241 damaged roofs have been temporarily protected under FEMA's "Blue Roof" program operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This program protects buildings from further damage in the wake of the disaster and allows families to remain in their homes as they rebuild.
1.4 million FEMA has completed more than 1.4 million housing inspections in Louisiana. Inspectors check for structural soundness to assure safe occupancy. These inspections also provide the information used to determine an applicant's eligibility for temporary housing and the Other Needs Assistance program. The inspection process includes a complete overview for structural damage. The inspector will record all disaster-related damages to the home. A survey of damaged personal property, clothing and vehicles is also conducted.
36.8 million In addition to household debris removal from rights-of-way, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), along with private contractors working for some Louisiana Parishes, has removed more than 36.8 million cubic yards of debris under a FEMA-funded mission assignment. This cleanup has contributed to the environmental, health and safety recovery of the community. The USACE coordinated work in cases where impacted local governments were in need of federal assistance in arranging for the work to be done.
$165 million FEMA has approved more than $165 million in disaster unemployment assistance for 108,149 eligible victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita who signed up during the application period. On March 6, President Bush signed Bill 1777, which extends these benefits an additional 13 weeks-till June 4 for Hurricane Katrina and June 24 for Hurricane Rita-to Louisiana residents and displaced evacuees who are unemployed because of the hurricanes. Disaster Unemployment Assistance is traditionally available for a period of up to 26 weeks from the disaster declaration date.
$700 million FEMA has approved more than $700 million in Community Disaster Loans (CDL) to help keep essential services online in communities hardest hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. CDLs provide operational funding to help local governments that have incurred a significant loss in revenue due to the disaster. These loans are made to local governments in need of financial assistance to perform essential services such as law enforcement and fire services.
$ 1.2 billion In Louisiana, individual assistance totaling more than $1.2 billion has been distributed 51,661 Louisiana victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for Other Needs Assistance through the Individuals and Households Program (IHP).This program provides assistance for serious, disaster-related needs to impacted individuals and provides financial assistance to individuals and households who have other disaster-related necessary expenses, such as: medical, dental, funeral, personal property, transportation replacement costs, and moving/storage, or serious needs that do not qualify for a low interest loan from SBA.
$ 1.9 billion More than $1.9 billion in federal dollars has already been allocated for Public Assistance (PA) projects, such as debris removal and emergency services in Louisiana parishes, equaling the amount allocated for PA grants in Florida in the eight months following the four hurricanes that hit that state in the 2004 hurricane season. FEMA awards grants to assist state and local governments and certain private non-profit entities with their response to and recovery from the disaster. The program provides assistance for debris removal, implementation of emergency protective measures, and the restoration of infrastructure to pre-disaster conditions.
$ 3.3 billion For homeowners and renters, the SBA has approved a total of 48,506 disaster loans, totaling more than $3.3 billion in Louisiana. These loans provide the funds needed following the disaster to assist individuals return their homes and possessions to pre-disaster conditions.
$3.5 billion FEMA has issued 1,589,215 housing assistance checks, totaling more than $3.5 billion, to Louisiana victims, in the form of rental assistance and home repair reimbursement grants. This assistance provides funds to those whose homes have been damaged by the disasters for a safe place to live.
$12.5 billion To date, more than $12.5 billion has been paid out under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to policyholders in Louisiana. Prior to the 2005 Hurricane season, NFIP was self-supporting for the average historical loss year. However, 2005 was not a historically average loss year, but far from it-it becomes the most expensive natural catastrophe to strike America. On average, only 49 percent of those eligible to buy flood insurance nation-wide do so; in the South, 61 percent of the eligible homeowners had purchased the needed insurance. These residents have practiced prudent planning by insuring their homes against loss due to flooding. These dollars represent claims paid through and by the premium dollars collected through the National Flood Insurance Program, insurance premium dollars that residents of Louisiana paid annually to protect their assets in the event of a flooding event.

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: Friday, 24-Mar-2006 15:16:59