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FCO Message Archive

FCO Brad Harris: FEMA is Helping Texas Communities Plan for a Better, Safer Future (April 27, 2009)

As the chaos of the Hurricane Ike disaster gives way to recovery, visionaries in some of Texas' hardest hit communities are looking to the future, with plans to rebuild their hometowns even better than they were before Ike hit. Specialists from our Long-Term Community Recovery (LTCR) program have been working side by side with leaders in several of those communities to offer advice and guidance on how to achieve their goals.

Because Ike was such a destructive and widespread storm, it has opened up opportunities for long-term planning that communities in Ike's path might not have considered in the past. The silver lining in the cloud of the Ike disaster, then, is that it has afforded affected cities and counties a rare chance to rethink their vision for the future.

For communities struggling to remain financially and emotionally afloat while recovering from the storm, though, suddenly being afforded this "golden opportunity" can be quite daunting. At first glance, the list of challenges seems endless. "Where do we begin?" "What are our opportunities?" "What makes a good project?" "How do we get our neighbors to support a plan?" "How can we afford to carry out a visionary plan?" and "How do we put it all together?" are just a few of the many questions the affected communities face.

That's where FEMA comes in. In extraordinary disasters such as Hurricane Ike, FEMA's LTCR team coordinates with federal, state and local governments and agencies as well as nonprofit groups to provide expertise and resources on rebuilding safer, stronger and smarter communities. One of LTCR's main goals is to help communities identify and take advantage of the opportunities that appear in the wake of disaster. LTCR is not a funding program, though it helps communities focus their vision for the future and identify potential financing sources. Once FEMA's specialists help organize the effort and get the planning process under way, they step aside so the local leaders can see it through.

The city of Galveston and Galveston County both requested our help on their long-term plans, as did Chambers and Jefferson counties. To each of them, our specialists delivered an important message: "Think Big."

We encourage communities to aim high with their plans because extraordinary projects get the community excited about long-term recovery - and involved in seeing plans through. This is essential to the success of any long-term plan and its projects. We like to quote Daniel Burnham, the pioneer planner and architect who supervised the construction of the 1893 Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair) and developed the Plan for Chicago in 1909. Burnham said, "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will themselves not be realized."

Having seen several of the communities' plans, I am pleased to say each of them has aimed high.

On April 9, the city of Galveston's Recovery Committee presented its recovery plan to the City Council. The plan, comprised of 42 projects, was accepted unanimously and meetings are being held to discuss the next steps. Among the plan's highlights are proposals to:

• Rebuild the Port of Galveston in a way that would allow it to import more cargo and serve more cruise ships.
• Improve and beautify Seawall Boulevard to include visitor stations, vendor kiosks and public markets, and implement a themed transit system to support ease of movement for visitors and beach-goers between the area and downtown.
• Build a central multi-use athletic facility to replace Ike-damaged football, baseball and other sports fields scattered throughout the island.
• Offer grants to those willing to rebuild in existing neighborhoods, rather than start new housing developments, with the goal of keeping neighborhoods intact.

The Chambers County Recovery Team is scheduled to present its plan to the County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, April 28. The plan features more than 40 projects, including proposals to:

• Relocate Bayside Hospital, the county's only publicly owned hospital, farther from the bay and closer to transportation, and harden it against future storms. Ike's storm surge reached within one foot of the hospital.
•Establish a Workforce Development Academy to train a local workforce, with an emphasis on petrochemical manufacturing, eco-technology and health care, the community's main economic sources. This project aims to attract residents back to the area.
• Increase eco-tourism to the county by restoring storm-damaged habitats and repairing infrastructure. Encourage the development of additional attractions and services for tourists.
• Rebuild neighborhoods stronger than before by, among other things, adopting building codes with higher standards, and creating and staffing a Recovery Center to assist homeowners through the rebuilding process.

Jefferson County is set to present its planning report to County and city of Port Arthur officials and Sabine Pass community leaders on Tuesday as well. For this report FEMA provided technical assistance to develop strategies and initiatives, such as devising mapping and GIS data to identify and track the location of damaged homes. The FEMA specialists also provided guidance on prioritizing possible future projects to improve damaged sewer and wastewater treatment facilities, parks and marinas. The report offers many recommendations on the recovery process for environmental issues, health care concerns, emergency response and economic development.

FEMA's LTCR team also is working with Galveston County to create a long-term recovery plan for Bolivar Peninsula. Work on that plan is under way, with participants identifying issues, concerns and possible projects in their sectors. A communitywide open house was held on Saturday to discuss the issues involved.

We are extremely pleased to have assisted these communities as they develop thoughtful and comprehensive approaches to recovery. We also appreciate the positive comments we have received from some of the project leaders.  
 
"Without FEMA as a shaping structure, I'm not sure how we would have gotten through this process," Betty Massey, chairwoman of Galveston's Recovery Committee, told our LTCR specialists.

"The technical expertise that this group has given has been invaluable," said Anahuac Mayor Guy Jackson, chairman of the Chambers County Recovery Steering Committee. "If we had sought these services in the outside market it would have cost us big bucks."

In the wake of a disaster the size of Ike, it's natural for citizens, businesses and communities to want to "get back to normal" as quickly as possible, even when "normal" was less than ideal. FEMA, through its Long-Term Community Recovery program, is encouraging Texans to dream of creating the beautiful and storm-resistant communities they would want for their children and grandchildren; the kind of communities they would be proud to showcase for visitors.

With planning, patience and perseverance, many of those dreams can come true.


 

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FCO Brad Harris: Federal Assistance in Hurricane Ike Disaster Tops $2 Billion (April 20, 2009)

On Friday we reached an important milestone in the Hurricane Ike recovery effort, when federal assistance to help Texans recover from the catastrophic storm topped $2 billion.

I just returned from a visit to Galveston, High Island, Anahuac and other communities along the upper Gulf Coast, where I saw first hand some of the remarkable changes that have taken place in several Ike-affected areas in recent weeks. As head of FEMA operations for the Hurricane Ike recovery effort, I am extremely pleased to see that the taxpayer dollars we have spent in Texas have contributed significantly to the revitalization effort.

It is important to understand that when FEMA tallies disaster assistance dollars, we include only those grants or loans awarded to help in the recovery efforts of individuals and families, the state of Texas and local governments, and businesses and eligible nonprofit groups. In other words, we count the assistance that goes directly to Texans and Texas communities affected by the storm.

To see how this funding breaks down, let's look at the three main program areas:

1. Individual Assistance (IA) programs are designed to help Texas' private citizens affected by the hurricane. Qualifying individuals and families may have their post-disaster hotel stays paid for or they may receive funds to cover disaster-related expenses such as home repairs, temporary housing and personal property losses. FEMA also provides Disaster Unemployment Assistance to Texans who lost their jobs as a result of the disaster, including the self-employed, farm and ranch owners and others who are not covered under regular unemployment insurance programs.

To date, FEMA has disbursed more than $629 million under IA programs, including nearly $406.5 million in housing assistance, $120.5 million for other needs assistance, $96 million for temporary hotel stays and $6.7 million in unemployment assistance.

2. The Public Assistance (PA) program awards grants to the state of Texas, local governments, tribal governments and nonprofit groups for measures taken before, during and after the storm to protect life and property; for debris removal; and for repairs to public infrastructure such as roads, bridges and public buildings, as well as to public utilities and recreational areas.

Funding assistance under the PA program now totals nearly $774 million. This includes $360.5 million for debris removal, $335.4 for protective measures, $69.4 million for repairs, and $8.5 million for state management costs.

3. Low-interest disaster loans administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are the primary source of federal funds to pay for repairs or replacements of property not fully covered by insurance or other compensation. SBA loans help homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property.
Since Hurricane Ike struck, the SBA has approved 8,330 loans to individuals and 1,473 loans to businesses, for a total of $603 million.
The presidential disaster declaration for Hurricane Ike included Public Assistance funding for 50 counties and one tribal nation, and Individual Assistance for 34 counties and the tribal nation. In all, the area affected by Hurricane Ike covered more than 42,000 square miles, almost the size of the entire state of Tennessee.
It has taken many months of recovery, enormous effort by the Texans whose lives were severely disrupted by Ike and the many people who have pitched in to help out, to get the disaster areas on the road to normalcy. We might not yet be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of full recovery, but at least the tunnel is now in sight.

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FCO Brad Harris: FEMA is Helping to Preserve History in Ike’s Aftermath (April 13, 2009)

Seawolf Park on Galveston's Pelican Island is one of our nation's hidden gems. Located on a spit of land at the site of a former immigrant quarantine station, the park features a playground, lighted fishing pier and a three-story pavilion with an observation deck that looks over the harbor. More important, it is home to two historic ships: the USS Stewart, one of only two remaining World War II-era destroyer escorts, and the USS Cavalla, a submarine that sank a Japanese aircraft carrier while on its maiden voyage in 1944.

Picture: 1,600 Ton Ship - Stewart After Hurricane Ike crashed ashore over Galveston last September, the storm surge lifted the 1,600-ton Stewart about 6 feet off the ground. When the floodwaters receded, the Stewart was listing dangerously on its starboard side, a 32-foot aluminum workboat lodged underneath. Nearby, the Cavalla was left with a 100-square-foot tear in the plating of its bow and other exterior damages.

For several months, FEMA Historic Preservation Specialist Chelsea Klein worked with the Public Assistance (PA) team and the Park Board of Trustees for the city of Galveston to find the best way to preserve and protect these two American treasures. The Stewart's precarious list presented a danger to the public safety, so that was taken care of quickly. Chelsea and the PA team also worked to develop a better anchoring system to hold the Stewart in place and prevent damage to it should another major storm hit the upper Gulf Coast. (See our video presentation on the project at www.fema.gov/medialibrary/media_records/246 ). FEMA also is providing federal funding for repairs to the storm-damaged park, pier and pavilion.

When Hurricane Ike struck, FEMA's first priority was to save lives and ensure that displaced Texans had a safe place to shelter. Since then, FEMA and its state and local partners have worked vigorously to get power restored, water treatment plants back in operation, debris cleaned up, and public buildings, roads and other infrastructure repaired and reopened. Meanwhile, we are working hard to meet the disaster-related needs of individuals and families.  

Integrated into our mission, however, is FEMA's obligation under various U.S. laws and executive orders to protect and enhance historic and cultural resources, such as Seawolf Park, in disaster-affected areas. Under certain circumstances we can fund repairs, restorations and mitigation projects on such resources.

Because Seawolf Park is owned by the city's Park Board of Trustees, for example, it is eligible to receive federal Public Assistance funding. FEMA also has awarded funds to repair the heating and air conditioning system at Galveston's city-owned Garten Verein, an octagonal-shaped 1880s-era former German social club that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Texas Historic Landmark. FEMA not only is funding portions of the project, it has provided technical assistance to develop a more energy efficient HVAC system.

Meanwhile, a formal proposal, or project worksheet, for federal cost-share funding is being written to repair the main terminal at Galveston's Scholes International Airport. The terminal, designed by well-known Galveston Architect Chas L. Zweiner and built in 1950, suffered severe flood damage in the storm. While the proposal is being written, FEMA HP specialists are providing the city with technical information and resources to help save the terminal's damaged terrazzo tile floor and subway tile wainscot, with the goal of preserving the building's overall historic integrity.

In Chambers County, FEMA's Historic Preservation archeologists are working with the county historical society to restore the hurricane-damaged McCollum Park, which includes a Native American burial site and a small 1800s-era cemetery. The park, which sits on Trinity Bay, suffered significant erosion as a result of Hurricane Ike, and the specialists are working to preserve this area for future generations.

Perhaps the most difficult work for FEMA's Historic Preservation team is finding ways to address serious Ike-related damages to the facilities and rare exhibits at Galveston's Lone Star Flight Museum and the Galveston Railroad Museum. Included in the damages at the flight museum, for example, is a PBY Catalina flying boat, one of the most popular multi-role aircraft of World War II. At the Galveston Railroad Museum, the damages include the "Glen Fee" sleeping car. Built in 1926, the Glen Fee is thought to be the last remaining car to have served on the original American Freedom Train of the late 1940s. The car is in the process of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Because the museums are run by private nonprofit groups, FEMA may provide funds for emergency work. For permanent repairs, these nonprofits must apply to the U.S. Small Business Administration for low-interest disaster loans before they can seek grants from FEMA. Also, as a steward of taxpayer money, FEMA must look at repair costs instead of replacement costs. But how do you repair unique historical items when parts either are not available or they cost a fortune?

To resolve the dilemma, FEMA specialists are working diligently with the city and the nonprofit groups, and we are bringing in technical specialists who can advise us on how best to proceed. Admittedly, the process is slow, but as I said before, our first obligation was to address the health and safety needs of individual Texans and get communities running again. Also, we want to make sure that any federal grants that go to these museums for their exhibits are justified - and that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

Meanwhile, many, many people are working hard to get all of these unique Texas sites back into full operation. I urge you to check them out, either in person or online. Perhaps you'll be inspired to help them in some way.

For more Ike-related disaster information, visit our Web site at www.fema.gov/ike.

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Public Assistance Funding is Vital to Texas’ Recovery from Hurricane Ike (April 6, 2009)

In the nearly seven months since Hurricane Ike hit Texas' upper Gulf Coast, federal funds totaling more than $700 million have poured into the state of Texas under FEMA's Public Assistance (PA) program.

Considering our nation's economic troubles and the government's recent $700 BILLION financial rescue program, perhaps $700 MILLION doesn't seem like a huge amount of money. I can assure you, though, this infusion of federal funds has brought enormous relief to city and county governments, and to utility companies, schools, universities and other entities whose budgets may have been prepared to handle that "rainy day" - but never a storm the likes of Ike.

Because Ike was such an enormous and dangerous hurricane, saving lives and caring for hundreds of thousands of evacuees required a massive emergency response effort. FEMA and the Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management (GDEM) did their parts, but an enormous burden was placed on local emergency response teams, fire and police departments, and nonprofit groups.

To date, FEMA has provided more than $317 million in federal funds to reimburse these entities for the eligible expenses they incurred during that chaotic period before and after Ike hit. For example, just last week, FEMA obligated nearly $1.8 million for search and rescue operations and other emergency work performed by the Houston Fire Department on the day Ike struck and in subsequent weeks.

Earlier in March, we awarded more than $3.2 million to the city of Galveston for sheltering costs alone. FEMA also awarded more than $2.5 million to the Texas Department of State Health Services for services provided by the San Antonio State Hospital staff to shelter special needs evacuees needing medical oversight after the disaster. In most cases, FEMA is paying 100 percent of the costs incurred for implementing emergency protective measures. 

Ike also generated an enormous amount of debris. Using the analogy I have mentioned before, if the debris collected from areas eligible for FEMA reimbursement were placed on a football field, the pile would be eight times as high as the Empire State Building. By providing nearly $320 million in federal funds just for debris removal - 100 percent of the cost of debris clean-up in eligible areas - FEMA is keeping these extraordinary costs from devastating some local economies.

For example, FEMA has issued a grant for more than $1.6 million for the removal and disposal of nearly 93,000 cubic yards of debris in the Harris County city of Shoreacres. Another grant for $4 million will pay the city of Pasadena's bill for the removal of more than 381,000 cubic yards of Hurricane Ike-created debris. And there have been many more grants like these.

Through the Public Assistance program, FEMA makes grants to state and local governments and eligible nonprofit entities, including educational institutions, hospitals, libraries, and community centers, which have suffered damage or loss as a result of a presidentially declared disaster or emergency. These grants are paid to reimburse these entities for the eligible expenses they incur in responding to and/or recovering from disasters.

In addition to debris removal and emergency protective measures - what FEMA considers emergency work - we also issue grants to reimburse for costs to repair or replace damaged roads and bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and their contents, publicly owned utilities and parks and recreation areas. We consider these projects permanent work, and under our current cost-share agreement, FEMA pays 75 percent of the total cost, while the state or local entity pays the other 25 percent.

In recent weeks, FEMA has obligated more than $2.8 million to the Sabine Pass Independent School District to replace the hurricane-destroyed gymnasium in the district's only school. Texas Southern University in Houston was awarded a $3.9 million grant for repairs to 284 classrooms and hallways in the Science Building, as well as repairs to the university's historical landmark, Sawyer Auditorium. The Sam Houston Electric Cooperative, which serves thousands of customers in Liberty, Montgomery, Polk and many other East Texas counties, has been awarded more than $15.7 million for emergency protective measures and repairs. These are just a few examples of the federal assistance going to communities in the 50 Texas counties eligible for PA assistance under the disaster declaration.

All levels of government have a role in getting the grant money to the applicant for Public Assistance projects. For every applicant, a team with one FEMA member and one state member shepherds the applicant's project or projects through the process. The state is the grants manager and local officials take an active role by requesting approved grant money from the state.

For the Hurricane Ike disaster, FEMA and state PA specialists are in the process of reviewing more than 14,000 formal requests (what we call "Project Worksheets") for funding. Based on the dollar amounts requested, we estimate that final Public Assistance funding in the state of Texas will total more than $1.75 billion. FEMA's portion of that total will depend on the cost-share agreement for each project. Regardless, the amount of money we've been able to get out on the street so far is just phenomenal, and it represents a major team effort with our state and local partners.

FEMA's goal in the Hurricane Ike disaster has been to save lives, protect the public health and help the citizens of Texas recover. We are accomplishing that goal by making grants directly to individuals and families through our Individual Assistance program for home repairs, rental expenses, temporary mobile homes, unemployment assistance and disaster-related funeral and burial costs, medical expenses and other needs.

Our Public Assistance program is the flip side of that effort. Although funds from the PA program are paid through the state to local governments and nonprofit entities, FEMA is helping to restore the quality of life for every Texan affected by this disaster.

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The Recovery Center Closing and Other Signs of Recovery (March 30 2009)

In the early days of the Hurricane Ike disaster, when millions of Texans were without power, getting lights turned on was a real sign of progress. Today, more than six months later, progress means turning the lights off.

I'm referring to the last remaining Disaster Recovery Center, which will end operations at the close of business on April 10. Since shortly after Ike hit, FEMA and the state have operated more than 130 recovery centers throughout the disaster area, providing direct assistance to nearly 160,000 visitors. The last center, at the Galveston Island Community Center, has been our busiest, with more than 27,000 visitors since it opened on Sept. 29, 2008. That's 27,000 times a Texan in need received help at this DRC.

The closing is significant because FEMA operates recovery centers for as long as our services are in demand, and we close them when their daily traffic suggests people are getting along without our direct assistance. Working ourselves out of a job is our goal from the beginning - and it's a real sign of progress when it happens.

In other areas, we measure progress differently.

Our direct housing specialists - the people responsible for getting displaced Texans into manufactured housing - measure their gains one person or family at a time.  It took them just two weeks to get the first occupants into manufactured housing after Ike hit. Today, after having provided temporary housing units to more than 3,650 Texas households in Galveston, Harris, Chambers, Jefferson, Orange, Brazoria and many other counties, their mission is 99 percent complete.

Advancing to this stage meant building temporary mobile home parks from the ground up in Bridge City, Galveston and High Island, areas where housing options were so limited as to warrant this extraordinary measure. All three parks are now open and occupied by Texas individuals and families. Moreover, more than 150 households have already moved out of manufactured housing and into their repaired homes or other longer-term housing. That's progress as well.

Debris clean-up in areas eligible for FEMA reimbursement also is nearing completion - and it is complete in most counties. We are at least 97 percent finished with this mission in every county except for hard-hit Galveston. In all, more than 21 million cubic yards of eligible debris have been removed, at a federal cost of more than $300 million. 

There is much work yet to be done, and I'm certainly not suggesting that all of Ike's victims are back to normal. 

But there are tangible signs of progress everywhere. People are moving home again or they are finding new places to call home. Apartment complexes, restaurants, stores and other businesses are reopening. Schools are getting repaired. The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston is being repaired and is rehiring. Roads, bridges and public buildings are getting fixed, and vital utility lines are being replaced.
 
Federal funding has contributed to these efforts, with nearly $399 million paid to applicants just for home repairs and rental assistance, and more than $590 million in low-interest disaster loans going to individuals, businesses of all sizes and certain private nonprofit organizations. FEMA's Public Assistance specialists have obligated more than $44 million specifically for repairs on public facilities and infrastructure. More than $99 million in repair costs and emergency protective measures has been obligated to UTMB alone.
 
Chris Perez has directed our Disaster Recovery Center at Galveston's community center on Broadway since it opened six months ago. In fact, it was he who gave former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush a tour of the facility last October.

Chris and other specialists at the center - from FEMA, the state, SBA and other agencies - have witnessed the city's renewal day by day. For instance, Chris recalls that in the early days it took two to three hours, dodging road debris, to get to the center from his hotel on the mainland. The beach, he remembers, had completely disappeared into the surf, and most restaurants and shops were boarded up.

Today, the sand has been replaced and Galveston looks like a beach town again. The town recently held a Mardi Gras parade in the Strand National Historic District, while college students on spring break have descended on the island to volunteer their services and to enjoy the beach scene and the restaurants and clubs that have reopened.

When the last recovery center closes at the end of next week, and the lights are switched off, many new lights will remain on in Galveston. That's true progress.

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Texas Charities Assisting Ike Victims Need Your Help (March 16, 2009)

A couple of weeks ago I wrote of the outpouring of aid and compassion Texans along the Gulf Coast received from people across the country after Hurricane Ike hit. We at FEMA witnessed enormous generosity as Texans and other Americans rushed to donate their time and money, as well as food, clothing and household goods, to those in dire need.

I know the generosity of spirit and the will to help others remain as strong as ever here in Texas and across the United States. In fact, many college students are spending their spring breaks, not lounging on beaches, but pitching in to help Ike-affected neighborhoods, and we commend them for their selflessness.

In the months since the hurricane struck, though, the charitable organizations that provide goods and services to Ike's victims have begun to suffer severe funding shortages.

One reason, of course, is the sheer magnitude of the Ike disaster and the number of people whose lives were severely disrupted because of it. FEMA has been working feverishly to provide housing assistance, repair money and funds for other needs to every Texan eligible for such aid. In all, lodging assistance and grants totaling more than $611 million have gone to individuals and families since the crisis began.

Since days before the storm, though, voluntary organizations have been a vital part of FEMA's mission to provide support and guidance to affected Texans, and we have encouraged Texans to work with these agencies when they're not eligible for federal or state assistance, or when their government assistance runs out.

The economic crisis is another big reason charities are hurting. It's never a good time for a natural disaster, but Ike couldn't have come at a worse one. I understand that many Texans are feeling the economic pinch and are fearful of the future - and I certainly cannot argue with that.

What I can say is that every little bit helps. Please don't resist making a donation because you're not able to give as much as you'd like, or as much as you think is needed.

Perhaps the best advice I can offer to those who want to help is to ensure your donation goes directly to Texans affected by the hurricane. If you cannot spend a lot of money, spend some time finding a long-term recovery committee or other reputable organization that is working directly with Ike victims.

If I start mentioning names I might forget some, but I assure you there are scores of groups out there that will use your donations wisely, for the benefit of Texans who are struggling to put their lives back on track after Ike.


 

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Plan Today for a Safer Tomorrow (March 16, 2009)

It's hard to imagine, but hurricane season will soon be upon us again. June 1 is the official kick-off of a season that has ushered in one major disaster after another over the past few years, including the catastrophic Hurricane Ike here in Texas.

Rather than focus on hurricanes, though, I want to discuss emergency preparedness in general, because disasters - both natural and man-made - can occur at any moment.

My question to you is: Are you prepared to protect yourself, your family and your home in the event of an emergency or natural disaster?

Having worked scores of disasters throughout my career, I speak from experience when I say the people who have taken steps to prepare for hurricanes, floods, tornados and other hazards fare far better during such events than those who haven't - both personally and financially.

FEMA perhaps is best known as the agency that comes in when a disaster has occurred, or when danger is approaching. An equal part of our mission, though, is to reduce the loss of life and property by helping Americans prepare themselves, their homes and their businesses for the next "big one."
Although hurricanes, tornadoes and other hazardous events are facts of life, we strongly believe devastation from them doesn't have to be.  

In support of the mitigation aspect of our mission, FEMA personnel assisting with the Hurricane Ike disaster are presenting programs on emergency preparedness at high schools, elementary schools and at senior centers in the disaster areas: www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=47739.

FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Community Education and Outreach Group is providing high schools in Harris, Galveston, Brazoria and Jefferson counties with building plans that incorporate techniques proven to make homes and businesses stronger and safer. Using the plans and donated materials, the students are building model structures, about 48 square feet in size. One model was displayed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and another will be displayed at this week's Texas Homeland Security and Hurricane Conference in San Antonio. 

For the young, and young at heart, we are presenting the "FEMA for Kids" and "FEMA for Seniors" programs, which are designed to encourage these Texans to take steps to prepare for the unexpected.

I urge you to prepare as well. Pick one thing that you can do today or this weekend - assemble an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan, get informed about the different types of emergencies that can occur in Texas and their appropriate responses, read about techniques for building a stronger and safer home, or simply call your insurance agent to discuss flood insurance.

The best information is just a click away at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's "Ready" Web site: www.ready.gov (www.listo.gov in Spanish). The site walks you through the basic steps of preparedness, provides detailed instructions on dealing with specific hazards, and much more. It even has a link to the "Ready Kids" site, which uses fun activities to teach children the importance of preparing for emergencies as well as how to help their families plan ahead for such events.
The "FloodSmart" Web site, www.floodsmart.gov, is the official site of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the FEMA-administered program that offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP.  FEMA strongly encourages property owners and renters to fully explore their insurance needs and obtain adequate coverage before a disaster strikes.
Finally, there's the "Plan Ahead" button at the top of this page. It also provides vital information on planning, on specific hazards, and on steps you can take to make your home or business stronger and safer. For the younger members of your family, there's also a link to the "FEMA for Kids" Web site.

Please start today. Take just one step toward ensuring the next disaster isn't disastrous for you and your loved ones.

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Our Thoughts are With Texans (March 10, 2009)

First, let me say that our thoughts are with Texans as we approach the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Ike. We know these months have been hard on the tens of thousands of displaced Texans as well as on communities throughout the upper Gulf Coast.

Working side by side with the state of Texas and with individual Texans since day one, FEMA has helped get the recovery effort well on its way. Together, we are meeting the many challenges Hurricane Ike created.

When we try to quantify efforts to overcome a disaster the size of Ike, it's always easy to speak in dollar figures, and believe me, those numbers are extraordinary. Federal and state assistance aimed at helping individual Texans and communities throughout the disaster area totals more than $1.7 billion. That's nearly $10 million per day, every day, since Ike made landfall.

Here's another number: Over the past six months, we've seen more than 20 million cubic yards of debris cleaned up across the disaster area. If you're like me, though, trying to picture debris in terms of cubic yards, especially when you get into the millions, is almost impossible. To better visualize the amount, think of a pile of debris the size of a football field, but stacked nearly eight times the height of the Empire State Building.  
 
We know the debris clean-up and the money that is going to Texas households and to state and local governments are vital to the recovery effort, but FEMA's efforts in Texas this past half year have included so much more.

I urge you to take some time to read our full anniversary package, "Hurricane Ike Six Months Later," on this Web site. The package includes a comprehensive look at 15 challenges FEMA and the state have faced as we work in partnership to get Texas' Ike-devastated region up and running again. On the list of challenges, you'll find words such as "restore," "rebuild" and "revitalize."

Ten million dollars a day is a nice round number, and I know the funds are making a huge impact on the state. On the other hand, those three words - RESTORE, REBUILD, REVITALIZE - just about sum up our reason for being here in Texas.

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FEMA is Working Side by Side with Texans (March 02, 2009)

Texans will soon mark the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Ike's assault on the upper Gulf Coast. By the time most Americans woke up on Sept. 13, 2008, Ike had already crashed ashore over Galveston. Because FEMA was already in place in Texas, we saw first hand the outpouring of aid and compassion from people across the country.

But these ensuing months have been difficult for the thousands of Texans who were affected by the disaster. In Galveston and Beaumont, Greater Houston and Baytown, and in scores of smaller towns - places like Shoreacres, Oak Island, Bridge City, Seabrook and many more - residents are still cleaning up, repairing and rebuilding. Progress has been made, but there is still work to do.

From Day One and throughout these months FEMA's commitment to Texas has been strong - and we plan to remain a powerful force in the recovery process. We continue to work shoulder to shoulder with the State of Texas and with our other federal partners, local governments and dozens of volunteer organizations to help Texans affected by the storm rebuild their homes, their communities and their lives.

Our Joint Field Office with the State of Texas remains in full operation in Austin, and we have Area Field offices in Beaumont, Galveston and just outside of Houston in Webster. In all, we have hundreds of specialists dedicated to seeing that every federal dollar approved for Texas gets in the right hands, and that every Texan eligible for housing assistance is in a safe and secure dwelling.

At the same time, though, managing a billion-dollar-plus disaster program means walking a fine line between responding quickly to those who need help and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not misused. To date we have approved more than $545 million in funding for public projects, more than $599 million in Individual Assistance and sheltering, and more than $572 million in Small Business Administration disaster loans. That's more than 10 million dollars per day - a lot to answer for - and we take our role as a steward of taxpayer dollars very seriously.

And yet FEMA personnel are face to face with the disaster and its victims every day. Our Community Relations and housing specialists in the field see first hand what it means to families to move out of FEMA temporary housing and into more suitable and functional housing. We know what the University of Texas Medical Branch and the loss of 44 school buses mean to Galveston residents, and we are working with the state to help fund repairs and replacements - as well as many other important public and private projects in communities throughout the disaster area.

We understand the importance of funding debris removal, not only because getting rid of the mess prevents disease, makes roadways safe, and clears paths for reconstruction equipment, but also because the cleanup represents revitalization and progress to the residents of affected communities.  

Significant progress has been made in Texas' recovery over these past months and we are extremely pleased to have been part of that effort. We are reaching important milestones along the way. Our direct housing mission - the program that provides manufactured housing in the direst of circumstances - is more than 96 percent finished, while 95 percent of the debris has been cleaned up in areas eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

Meanwhile, our mitigation specialists have met with tens of thousands of Texans, offering them advice and assistance on building stronger, safer homes and communities for the future.

On Feb. 20 FEMA ended the registration period for victims of the Ike disaster. From a high of more than 81,500 registrations in a single day, we were seeing only a few dozen each day. Although the registration period is over, FEMA is continuing to process all requests for assistance, and our Disaster Recovery Centers will remain open in affected areas for a while so that Ike's victims can still get direct assistance if they need it. Additionally, applicants can continue to call our helpline for assistance and responses to their questions.

I can't count the number of times we Austin-based FEMA personnel have been asked what there could possibly be left for FEMA to do about Ike. "Didn't that happen months ago?" we're asked. Others have asked, "Isn't that over yet?" The answer is, "No, it isn't."

FEMA will be here, working side by side with the residents and the communities of the Texas upper Gulf Coast, until our job is done.

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Last Modified: Monday, 04-May-2009 11:57:20 EDT