Federal Resources Supporting Response and Recovery After Ike

A press release with additional information about response and recovery efforts due to damages caused by Hurricane Ike is available at;

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=45821

Here are some excerpts from that news release.

Release Date: September 18, 2008
Release Number: HQ-08-223

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is coordinating the joint efforts of federal, tribal, state and local partners as immediate response activities begin to reach completion and recovery efforts begin across the Gulf Coast.

Residents from the declared disaster areas in Texas and Louisiana should register for federal assistance - including disaster housing assistance - by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or logging on to www.fema.gov. Registrations will remain open in the weeks to come to allow all those who need to register the time they need to apply for help. Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers are opening across the region and additional offices will soon open to provide expanded service. To date, 317,791 households have applied for assistance.

Federal agencies are working together with state and local partners to provide eligible disaster-affected individuals and families with a safe, secure and sanitary place to live until it is safe for them to go home. FEMA, at the request of the State of Texas, has activated its transitional sheltering initiative to allow eligible Ike evacuees from Texas, who cannot return to their homes, to stay for a time in hotels or motels. FEMA will pay for the lodging directly. A listing of participating hotels is available online at http://www.FEMAEvacHotels.com. To ensure reimbursement, evacuees must first apply for federal assistance. To date, 9,179 households have applied for this assistance.

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG):

USCG is working to restore navigational and port operations. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is open from the Houston and Galveston area westward to Corpus Christi. The ports of New Orleans, Lake Charles, Morgan City, Neches River, Sabine-Neches Waterway, Galveston, Corpus Cristi and Mobile are open with restrictions. The ports of Orange, Port Arthur/Beaumont, Houston, Texas City and Freeport are open with a 16-foot draft restriction. Port Lavaca/Point comfort is open.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA):

Beaumont Airport is scheduled to resume operations tomorrow.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):

NOAA aircraft are completing their damage assessment missions - imagery will be available online at http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/ike/.
NOAA navigation response crews have completed the waterway surveys in the affected areas.

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ):

DOJ's Disaster Fraud Hotline continues to operate. Members of the public can report fraud, waste, abuse or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations through the Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, the Disaster Fraud Fax at 225-334-4707 or the Disaster Fraud e-mail at disaster@leo.gov. Individuals can also report criminal activity to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or www.fbi.gov.


Be aware. Be informed. Be prepared.

Riverwalker