Hurricanes, Monday, October 16, 2017

Oct 16, 2017

GENERAL UPDATES

  • On October 13, seven Senators, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Brock Long urging him to immediately approve Puerto Rico’s request for Permanent Work Public Assistance (also referred to as Categories C-G PA). Puerto Rico governor Rosselló submitted a request last week to help fund permanent repairs for roads, bridges, public utilities, and other critical infrastructure. The letter also urges FEMA to work with Congress to increase the federal cost-share for such repairs since Puerto Rico was facing financial challenges prior to the hurricane.

HUD

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

  • By the Numbers (according to CAL FIRE) 
    • 14 wildfires
    • 213,000 acres burned
    • 5,700 structures destroyed
    • 41 deaths
    • 40,000+ people remain evacuated

HURRICANE MARIA

FEMA

U.S. Virgin Islands

  • By the Numbers: (unchanged from 10/11)
    • 1,789 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
    • $1,015,053 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
    • $120,017 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
    • $895,037 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
    • $10,510,000 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) dollars obligated**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Puerto Rico

  • By the Numbers: (unchanged from 10/11)
    • 86,382 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
    • $43,258,815 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
    • $43,208,262 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
    • $37,005,952 Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated** all of which are for Emergency Work (Categories A-B)

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

  • Additional Funds. FEMA awarded Puerto Rico Electric and Power Authority (PREPA) $128 million for emergency work relating to restoring electricity. This is in addition to the more than $213 million previously awarded. 

Local Perspectives

  • Effects of Hurricane on Children. The Center for American Progress released a report covering the how children in Puerto Rico depend on government support for food assistance and security, housing, health and medical care, and early education. More than half of children in Puerto Rico live below the federal poverty line and 31% live in housing-burdened households.

HURRICANE IRMA

FEMA

Florida

  • By the Numbers: (unchanged from 10/11)
    • 682,676 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
    • $737,939,691 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
    • $492,813,204 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
    • $245,126,487 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

Georgia

  • By the Numbers: (unchanged from 10/11)
    • 7,982 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
    • $9,680,367 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
    • $6,812,256 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
    • $2,868,111 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

U.S. Virgin Islands

  • By the Numbers: (unchanged from 10/11)
    • 2,265 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
    • $1,526,828 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
    • $384,219 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
    • $1,142,608 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
    • $25,056,945 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) dollars obligated**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Puerto Rico

  • By the Numbers:
    • 415 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
    • $1,029,842 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
    • $534,738 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
    • $495,105 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Local Perspectives

  • Migrant Workers. The devastation to farms and housing is bringing additional hardship to Florida’s estimated 300,000 migrant workers. With damage to Florida’s crops, the agriculture industry will offer fewer jobs, and many of the migrant workers may lack legal status or a permanent address, preventing them from asking or obtaining aid or relocating.

HURRICANE HARVEY

FEMA

Texas

  • By the Numbers: (unchanged from 10/11)
    • 321,244 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*
    • $1,065,882,029 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*
    • $815,683,611 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*
    • $250,198,418 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*
    • $327,886,760 Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated** all of which are for Emergency Work (Categories A-B)

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Local Perspectives

  • Mental Health Task Force. In collaboration with Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, the Texas Education Agency is creating a Task Force on School Mental Health Supports. The Task Force will develop a list of supports and resources for school leaders to use for addressing the mental health needs of affected staff, students, and families.

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