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FEMA has published the following summary of Mississippi recovery efforts as of October 26, 2007 (verbatim):
Individual support continues with more than $1.2 billion to individuals and families:
• 216,539 individuals and families have been approved for Housing Assistance totaling more than $848 million;
• 134,299 Mississippi survivors have been approved for more than $412 million in Other Needs Assistance (ONA);
• 14,451 temporary housing units (travel trailers and mobile homes) in service. More than 27,000 families have deactivated their units.
• To assist temporary housing occupants in their recovery, FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons have partnered with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), local business and non-profit organizations to create a series of Helping Hands Workshops. The next workshop will be held in November in Gulfport.
• The workshops address various personal recovery issues facing occupants of FEMA travel trailers and mobile homes. VAL has conducted workshops specifically targeted to occupants in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River and Stone counties.
Nearly $2.2 billion has been obligated in the following Public Assistance (PA) categories:
• More than $721 million obligated for land-based debris removal;
• $367 million for emergency protective measures;
• $533 million to repair or replace public buildings;
• $380 million to repair public utilities;
• $118 million to repair and restore public recreational facilities such as state parks;
• $110 million to meet the costs of administering the PA grants;
• $63 million to repair roads and bridges;
• $1 million to repair water control devices such as reservoirs and irrigation channels.
Obligated funds can be adjusted if a project can be completed for less than the original project estimate.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency administers the funds. To date, MEMA has disbursed more than $1.3 billion to PA applicants for debris removal and rebuilding projects including bridges, public buildings and utilities.
An inter-agency campaign, directed by FEMA, has been working to clean up Mississippi’s coastal and inland waterways.
• As of Oct. 22, the U.S. Coast Guard has cleared more than 246,530 cubic yards of marine debris from the water since marine cleanup began May 2006 and 10 of 15 marine debris removal contracts are complete.
• More than $50.1 million has been expended for marine debris removal. Due to the oversight and recommendation by the U.S. Coast Guard project officer, approximately $100 million of the $237 million obligated for the project has been de-obligated. Obligated funds can be adjusted if a project can be completed for less than the original project estimate.
Preparing today for tomorrow’s disasters…
• FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) brings together federal, state, and local governments to prepare communities for future events. Hazard mitigation is any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards and their effects.
• MEMA, as designated by the Governor of Mississippi, administers the HMGP. MEMA provides eligible grant applicants with assistance in mitigation planning, project selection, application development and reimbursement.
• FEMA has allocated more than $84 million for various HMGP projects throughout the state.
• Across the state, 246 jurisdictions have MEMA- and FEMA-approved Hazard Mitigation plans.
• The amount of funding available for the HMGP following a disaster currently stands at 7.5 percent of the total amount of federal assistance. More than $433 million in HMGP funds are available for Mississippi.
•Date: 1st Nov 2007• Region:US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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