By the Numbers 022
Ike Update: Disaster Recovery Assistance Approaching $1.5 Billion
Release Date: January 30, 2009
Release Number: 1791-389
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Ike
AUSTIN, Texas -- Four months after Hurricane Ike ravaged the Texas coast, nearly $1.5 billion in federal and state disaster assistance has poured into the Lone Star state.
The Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), partners in the state's disaster recovery, provide the following summary of assistance approved as of Jan. 29:
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Nearly $477 million in disaster assistance for housing, disaster-related needs and disaster unemployment assistance has been approved for Texans for Hurricane Ike recovery.
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The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more than $541 million in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes.
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More than $70 million has been billed for short-term, transitional sheltering in hotels/motels for eligible applicants. Some 4,000 eligible individuals and families are still participating in the program.
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To date, more than $386 million in public assistance funding has been obligated for local public infrastructure repair and debris removal costs.
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FEMA has provided temporary manufactured housing for more than 3,322 applicants or 89 percent of the 3,724 applicants eligible for direct housing assistance.
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More than 20 million cubic yards or 94 percent of eligible debris has been cleared from disaster-affected counties.
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There are 10 FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Centers open in affected counties, offering face-to-face assistance. Nearly 150,000 visits have been made to the centers.
To apply for disaster assistance, go online to www.fema.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- and hearing-impaired.
FEMA's temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
Last Modified: Monday, 02-Feb-2009 10:34:20