The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Hurricane Ike crashed ashore over Galveston Island, Texas, shortly after 2 a.m. on Sept. 13, 2008. Called into action ahead of the disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has supported the State of Texas by providing funding assistance for the disaster recovery effort and by coordinating the endeavors of FEMA’s federal, tribal, state and local partners.

Additionally, FEMA has provided temporary housing assistance for thousands of eligible Texans, while FEMA specialists have personally assisted tens of thousands of Ike victims. Following is a quick look at the numbers (as of Dec. 10) associated with Hurricane Ike in the nearly three months since the storm made landfall. 

1 Hurricane Ike was the No. 1 natural disaster in Texas in 2008.

2 Ike made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane. Its maximum winds of 110 mph barely missed making Ike a Category 3 storm. Wind gusts hit 125 mph.

12 FEMA specialists in the field are offering assistance in more than a dozen languages and dialects, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean and American Sign Language.

17 According to National Weather Service estimates, the highest storm surge caused by Hurricane Ike reached 17 feet — and possibly 20 feet in some areas.

19 FEMA has responded to 19 disasters nationwide in just the three months since Hurricane Ike struck.

34 + 1 A total of 34 Texas counties and one tribal nation (Alabama-Coushatta Tribe) are eligible for Individual Assistance as a result of the presidential disaster declaration.

74 As a result of Hurricane Ike, 74 people lost their lives in Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

78 On Nov. 15, 78 households moved into FEMA manufactured homes in one day. Now, nearly 1,900 households are in mobile homes or park models.

89 State, volunteer and federal resources opened 89 points of distribution throughout the disaster area to provide meals, water, ice and other essential commodities.

100 The federal government has agreed to fund 100 percent of debris removal in eligible areas until April 26, 2009. To date, nearly 18.8 million cubic yards of debris have been removed from eligible areas affected by the disaster. That’s the size of a football field stacked about two miles high with debris.

124 FEMA has operated 124 Disaster Recovery Centers, assisting more than 128,000 people, throughout the affected area. Eighteen centers remain open.

234 FEMA partners established 234 temporary shelters for victims of Hurricane Ike. At its peak, the shelter population hit 40,614.

500 Ike was a massive hurricane when it hit Texas. The storm system was more than 500 miles wide, including a band of hurricane-force winds about 165 miles wide. Ike’s eye alone was about 46 miles wide.

3,540 Search and rescue teams coordinated by the Texas Governor’s Division of Emergency Management rescued more than 3,540 Texans and helped an additional 5,798 people evacuate from extremely dangerous situations.

7,000 The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than 7,000 low-interest disaster loans to businesses and individuals.

26,244 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installed 26,244 Blue Roofs on residences hit by Hurricane Ike following the disaster.

31,000 Of the more than 31,000 interviews FEMA has conducted with Texans for the direct housing mission, the vast majority have said they found alternative housing and do not require manufactured homes.

34,000 Since Hurricane Ike struck, more than 34,000 people have received advice from FEMA mitigation advisers on how to build homes that better resist wind and floods.

42,000 The counties designated for assistance in the presidentially declared disaster area cover nearly 42,000 square miles. That is almost the size of the entire state of Tennessee.

383,000 More than 383,000 housing inspections have been completed. That’s 99 percent of the inspection orders issued.

498,000 Nearly 498,000 registrants have been referred to the housing assistance program as a result of Hurricane Ike.

725,000 More than 725,000 individuals and households have registered with FEMA since the hurricane struck.

3.6 Million Individuals who have been unable to work because of the disaster have received more than $3.6 million in Disaster Unemployment Assistance, a program to help people not normally covered by unemployment insurance.

10 Million The State of Texas plans to expedite the delivery of some $10 million in funds for fast-track property acquisitions available under FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. A total of more than $324 million will be available through the program.

17 Million During the early days of the disaster FEMA delivered more than 17 million meals and 16 million liters of water to points of distribution throughout the affected areas.

82.5 Million More than $82.5 million has been disbursed to help meet serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance and other aid programs. The Other Needs Assistance program provides funding for personal property, moving and storage, transportation, medical expenses and burial costs.

218.6 Million FEMA has obligated $218.6 million in Public Assistance funds for debris removal and other public needs.

310 Million FEMA has been billed more than $310 million for Transitional Sheltering Assistance, a program that pays for the hotel stays of Ike victims who have not yet found long-term housing. The program has assisted nearly 26,500 individuals and families, with about 4,500 remaining in transitional sheltering.

326 Million More than $326 million is in the hands of eligible applicants affected by Hurricane Ike for temporary housing assistance and home repairs.

400 Million The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $400 million in low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations.

1.3 Billion In just the three months since Hurricane Ike struck, more than $1.3 billion has been approved to help Texas residents, businesses and communities that suffered loss or damage in the storm. That’s 1.3 BILLION DOLLARS!