UTMB Advanced $38.9m in FEMA Funds
Release Date: December 8, 2008
Release Number: 1791-314
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Ike
AUSTIN, Texas -- 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, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today.
The first half of the potential funding for emergency measures taken as a result of Hurricane Ike includes expenses for moisture control; decontamination and cleaning of heating and air conditioning systems; microbial remediation; telecommunications recovery restoration of electronic and other vital records; and equipment recovery and replacement.
"The funds for UTMB are a critical piece of our ongoing Public Assistance program reimbursements for Texas," said Federal Coordinating Officer Stephen M. De Blasio Sr. "To date, FEMA has obligated almost $209 million across the disaster for infrastructure repairs, emergency measures and debris removal."
"The UTMB facility suffered greatly from the hurricane," said State Coordinating Officer Joan Haun. "We are pleased that FEMA has been able to expedite help to the facility."
FEMA makes payments directly to the state, which releases the funding to local agencies able to document disaster-related expenses.
FEMA's advance was based on invoices submitted from UTMB consultants hired to assess the damage. FEMA has added staff to provide technical guidance for local applicants in preparing project worksheets on which Public Assistance reimbursements are based. FEMA assigned a special team of architects, engineers, construction estimators and medical equipment specialists to the UTMB project.
While Public Assistance reimbursement grants are aimed at governments and organizations, their final goal is to help a community and all its citizens recover from devastating natural disasters and mitigate impact from future disasters. It is one way tax dollars return to local residents at a time when they need it the most.
For more disaster recovery information, visit www.fema.gov or www.txdps.state.tx.us
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: Monday, 08-Dec-2008 15:36:01