Texas Disaster Recovery Aid Tops $588.9M for Hurricane Rita

Families and individuals who suffered damage from Hurricane Rita have been approved to receive more than $588.9 million in assistance from state, federal, local and voluntary agencies. These agencies are working in partnership to continue to help affected Texas residents.

Recovery Services Summary as of 2 p.m. Jan. 6, 2006:

* 478,151 individuals have registered for Individual Assistance.
* $558,402,638 has been approved through the Individuals and Household Program. Of that, FEMA has provided $488,063,952 in Individual Assistance and $70,338,686 in Other Needs Assistance.
$30,535,800 in loans has been approved by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
* 367,036 people have visited the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs). Individuals affected by Hurricane Rita may go to any DRC to have questions answered about disaster assistance in person.
* 336,643 home inspections have been requested. Ninety-nine percent of those submitted have been completed. There are 89 inspectors in the field.
* 86 percent of the debris from Hurricane Rita has been removed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), cities and counties have hauled away an estimated 7.5 million cubic yards of debris with 1.2 million cubic yards pending removal.
* 3,441 requests for travel trailers have been received. Some 2,697 units are occupied. Accessible units with a wider entrance, handrails, and low-step tub entry also are available.
* $477.6 million in Public Assistance has been approved by FEMA.

The funds will be used by the State of Texas to reimburse local governments and agencies for eligible and documented debris removal, temporary sheltering, interim housing and emergency protective measures associated with Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.