Ala. FEMA Aid Tops $100M

More than 32,000 individuals and families in Alabama have received nearly $74 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) housing assistance for Hurricane Katrina.

Another $27 million was allocated for other essential needs of those who suffered losses. This brings the total in disaster assistance to individuals and families to more than $101 million since the hurricane made landfall Aug. 29.

The total spent on current recovery programs now totals $386 million, a figure which, added to the cost of Hurricane Ivan just a year ago, tops $1 billion in disaster spending in Alabama.

More than 109,000 Alabama residents in the disaster-declared counties registered with FEMA for assistance by calling either the toll-free number 800-621-FEMA (3362), the TTY number for hearing- or speech-impaired, 800-462-7585 or going online at www.fema.gov .

Updated disaster assistance statistics follow, including a breakdown of assistance to the declared counties:

* The U.S. Small Business Administration approved nearly 100 residential loans totaling $3.8 million and business loans of $378,000.
* Close to 58,000 applicants have received some form of state/FEMA financial aid.
* Of the above number, more than 32,525 received financial assistance for housing needs and 25,289 received assistance to replace lost or destroyed essential property.
* Of the 109,000 who registered for aid, 25,978 visited Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) for information about assistance programs and to check on the status of their applications. There are now 11 DRCs providing outreach services to nearly 700 visitors a day. Fixed DRCs are located in Bayou La Batre, Birmingham , Foley, Livingston, Mobile (2), Montgomery and Selma . Three mobile DRCs travel to outlying counties.
* Evacuees from neighboring states currently using Alabama registration addresses number close to 30,000.
* Seven remaining shelters now house 58 persons, down from a high of 5,421.
* Statewide, 4,463 individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina are currently residing in various forms of interim housing.
* There are 46 Community Relations specialists in the field working directly with evacuees in shelters, hotels and interim housing facilities.
* Residents and displaced evacuees received 2.2 million Meals-Ready-to-Eat (MREs).
* A total of 704,772 meals and snacks were served by voluntary agencies.
* More than $259.3 million has been obligated for water, ice, MREs and other mission critical assignments since the initial declaration.
* To date, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has disbursed $10.4 million in flood damage claims.
* The Public Assistance program for restoring damaged infrastructure obligated nearly $12.5 million to public and eligible nonprofit agencies in Alabama as reimbursement for debris removal, emergency protective measures and damage to public property.
* Out of 85,334 inspections for housing damage 82,221, or 96 percent, are completed.
* More than 2.3 million cubic yards of storm-caused debris has been collected statewide out of a total statewide estimate of 4 million cubic yards.