Hurricane Ike Three Months Later: From Disaster to Recovery
(Part Two)
Release Date: December 15, 2008
Release Number: 1791-338
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Ike
AUSTIN, Texas -- One week after Ike crashed ashore on Galveston Island, search and rescue operations had ended, contractors were clearing debris and the U.S. Department of Energy was working closely with industry and state officials to coordinate the restoration of power throughout southeast Texas.
But the destruction was massive - and full recovery will not come easily.
Indeed, the progress that has been made over the past three months is the result of a joint effort, not just by the State of Texas, FEMA and its federal partners. A vital role also has been played by Texas' state and federal lawmakers, by local mayors, judges and other officials in the cities and towns across the disaster area, and by the hundreds of thousands of Texans who have attempted to help themselves and their neighbors recover from the storm.
For example, all five judges in the hardest hit counties of Galveston, Harris, Chambers, Orange and Jefferson signed waiver letters authorizing FEMA to place manufactured homes in the 100-year floodplain. Dozens of mayors and other local officials in towns around the region also signed waiver letters. This proactive step allowed FEMA and the State to move forward with plans to put displaced Texans into manufactured homes while their homes are being repaired.
Additionally, state and local authorities have worked closely with FEMA to determine the kind of help that is needed in the state and in the many disaster-affected communities. FEMA has coordinated the federal efforts, and is the agency in charge of disbursing federal funds, but the effort to help Texas recover from Ike is a true partnership.
Meanwhile, at the federal level, all of FEMA's partners have poured resources into the recovery effort:
- The EPA has provided assistance to state agencies in Texas for the recovery of orphan drums, which are large containers of waste and potentially toxic chemicals that were scattered throughout the disaster area by the storm. In all, some 58,000 orphan drums were recovered. The EPA also helped in the collection of thousands of household hazardous waste containers.
- SBA customer service representatives have provided door-to-door service to more than 5,000 homeowners, renters and businesses to explain the SBA low-interest disaster loan program. This is in addition to personnel at SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers and SBA staff at Disaster Recovery Centers. To date, the SBA has granted more than $416 million in disaster loans.
- The American Red Cross served more than 3.6 million meals and 4.5 million snacks in the aftermath of the hurricane. The Red Cross also deployed more than 6,400 workers, 96 percent of them volunteers, to support hurricane relief efforts in Texas. In all, the Red Cross opened 235 shelters and hosted more than 217,000 overnight stays for Texans in need of a safe place to rest.
- From the very beginning, AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) members from around the country have been on the scene to assist with the response and recovery effort. These young people, aged 18-24, first performed heavy-duty tasks, such as unloading trucks, assisting at shelters and clearing debris. As efforts shifted from response to recovery, hundreds of AmeriCorps members have performed such functions as staffing Disaster Recovery Centers, contacting landlords regarding rental resources for displaced Texans and conducting phone interviews with applicants who need temporary housing.
- On Nov. 1, HUD began implementing its temporary disaster housing program to assist families displaced by Ike. The program will provide temporary housing assistance to thousands of displaced individuals and families until March of 2010.
- To help alleviate constraints in fuel supplies as a result of Ike's affect on vital energy resources in the Gulf and the Houston area, DOE facilitated the emergency exchange of nearly 5.4 million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. DOE also staffed its Emergency Response Center around the clock to monitor real-time data on energy supplies in the Gulf Coast region.
- As the recovery process progressed, the DOE also put staff on the ground to provide support for FEMA's Direct Housing Operations. DOE has been coordinating with three major power distribution companies to get manufactured homes connected to electricity.
- The U.S. Health and Human Services Administration (HHS) has looked out for the welfare of young and old Texans by providing disaster case management and other services for victims of Ike.
- Among the many contribution of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), hydrologists have collected water samples to determine the water quality in areas where there had been significant intrusion of salt water.
- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) extended tax filing and payment deadlines for Texans affected by Ike. IRS employees were assigned to provide tax information and assistance at Disaster Recovery Centers around the disaster area.
Throughout these three months, FEMA's commitment to the State and the people of Texas has never wavered, and the agency plans to remain on the job until Texas is well on the road to recovery. The progress made to date includes:
- More than $1.4 billion has been approved to help Texas residents, businesses and communities that suffered loss or damage in the storm.
- In the weeks following the hurricane, presidential amendments to the disaster declaration added additional counties to those qualifying for assistance. Today, 51 Texas counties and one tribal nation are eligible for assistance from FEMA. The 33 hardest-hit counties qualify for both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance.
- Almost $39 million has been obligated to the State of Texas as an advance on reimbursements for repairs to the University of Texas Medical Branch on Galveston Island.
- Nearly 2,000 households are occupying manufactured homes temporarily under a program requested by the state. Several hundred more homes are in the process of installation. Additionally, contractors have broken ground on two new community sites in Orange County and they plan to begin work on a community site in Galveston County in the near future.
- About 4,500 applicants who have not yet found a long-term housing solution are living in hotels paid by FEMA. In all, the program has assisted nearly 26,500 individuals and families.
- So far, 80 percent of the eligible and documented debris left behind by Hurricane Ike for which FEMA is footing the bill has been cleaned up. That's 18.7 million cubic yards. The federal government has agreed to pay the total cost of this portion of the debris clean-up until April 26, 2009.
- To date, FEMA has obligated nearly $219 million in Public Assistance funds for debris removal and other public needs.
- More than $326 million is in the hands of eligible applicants affected by Hurricane Ike for temporary housing assistance and home repairs.
- The amount of coverage provided by the FEMA-administered National Flood Insurance Program in counties eligible for federal disaster assistance to individuals, families and business totals $58.1 billion.
- Fifty-two FEMA hazard mitigation advisers have been stationed at Disaster Recovery Centers and have made presentations at home improvement stores throughout the area in an effort to help Texans rebuild their homes stronger and safer. These advisers have met with more than 34,000 people so far.
- FEMA's Mitigation Assessment Team is preparing a report containing recommendations on ways Texas can improve building design and construction, among other things, to make buildings more resistant to hazardous events.
- As of late October, Texans who have registered for assistance can access the "Automated Status Update" function on FEMA's toll-free registration line, 1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585. By following a series of voice-activated prompts, applicants can get information about such things as personal registration, eligibility status, financial compensation and the appeal process.
- FEMA announced Dec. 12 that it has extended the deadline for individuals and families to register for assistance for another month, to Jan. 12, 2009.
- Additionally, FEMA is launching a Web site this week dedicated exclusively to providing information and resources on the Hurricane Ike recovery effort. It can be found at www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/2008/ike.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 16-Dec-2008 08:46:28