Hurricanes Katrina And Rita Recovery Summary 

Release Date: October 17, 2005
Release Number: 1603-089

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- Six weeks after Hurricane Katrina's assault on the Gulf Coast , which was followed three weeks later by Hurricane Rita, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (LOHSEP) continue to bring aid to the storms' victims.

To date, more than 1.3 million Louisianians have applied for state and federal disaster assistance by calling the toll-free registration line, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by registering online at www.fema.gov . The TTY number for speech- and hearing-impaired is 1-800-462-7585. The phone lines are operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

FEMA has approved more than $3.3 billion in payments for emergency assistance and disaster housing, including grants for temporary housing and for minor repairs to make homes safe and habitable.

The 169 remaining emergency shelters in Louisiana are housing 13,609 evacuees awaiting return to their homes or to other transitional housing that will provide a sense of community and normalcy.

More than 2,400 travel trailers are currently occupied by families and relief workers working in hardest hit areas. 4,170 travel trailers and mobile homes have been readied for occupancy.

In addition, more than 6,901 housing units are occupied. These units include travel trailers, established housing facilities such as extended stay apartments or hotels, and cruise ships.

There are now 34 Disaster Recovery Centers open in the state to provide information and face-to-face help. These centers have assisted, to date, more than 20,751 residents impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more than $46.5 million in loans to individuals and businesses impacted by the hurricanes.

To date, the American Red Cross has served more than 8.8 million meals in Louisiana and has sheltered 141,018 people in 256 facilities.

The Salvation Army has served more than 1.1 million meals to state residents, and both organizations have been supported by the Southern Baptist Convention, which has provided field kitchens and cooking.

The total truckloads of commodities shipped to date: 1,691 truckloads of water ; 1,485 truckloads of ice ;  1,195 truckloads of tarps ; 1,011 truckloads of meals ready to eat (MREs) .

Inspections of damaged homes are proceeding, although some of the worst-hit areas have not been accessible. A total of 296,953 inspections have been completed.

Nearly 7.4 million cubic yards of debris have been removed to date.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Operation Blue Roof has installed plastic sheeting to patch damaged roofs to provide temporary shelter in five parishes hardest hit by Katrina. To date nearly 35,800 temporary roofs have been installed.

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 07:14:58