FEMA: $3B Dished Out To Florida For Hurricane Irma

It's been almost a year since Hurricane Irma impacted Central Florida in mid-September - but the damage it did is still being calculated.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency gave $3 billion to homeowners, renters, state and local governments and eligible nonprofits in Florida.

On top of that, the federal Small Business Administration has approved $1.4 billion dollars in loans to home and business owners.

Money has also been given to citrus growers to whose crops and groves were damaged.

By the numbers

Total Federal assistance

• FEMA (IA, NFIP, PA and HMGP) has provided more than $3 billion to homeowners, renters, state and local governments and eligible nonprofits in Florida.
• The Small Business Administration has approved $1.4 billion in loans to home and business owners.

Individual Assistance

• 2,644,427 households registered for the Individuals and Households Program. IHP disbursed $1 billion to survivors. Of that total, $693 million was for housing assistance.
• As of Aug. 17, 2018, of the 318 applicants approved for Direct Housing, 150 households remain in temporary housing.
• FEMA is working with applicants to help them find permanent housing.

1. IA staff is providing rental resources, monitoring applicants’ progress on home repairs and encouraging survivors to include nearby communities as they search for housing.
2. All Direct Housing applicants have been assigned a case manager.

• More than $28 million for Disaster Case Management program. Disaster Case Management is administered by Volunteer Florida. 

Public Assistance       

• As of Aug. 1, 2018, the Public Assistance program has obligated more than

$ 210 million (federal share) for debris removal, emergency work and permanent work.  FEMA Public Assistance has received 1,018 eligible applications.

• Notable Public Assistance projects:

1. Total of $70 million to the Florida Division of Emergency Management
2. Approximately $15.5 million to reimburse the Key West Utility Board
3. Nearly $10.6 million to reimburse Collier County

National Flood Insurance Program claims

• NFIP received 28,588 claims and paid $964 million to flood insurance policyholders.        

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

• The deadline for HMGP applications was Aug. 6, 2018. FEMA and the state are working together to review applications and assist communities as they build resilience.
• The FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program obligated more than $2 million in funding to one sub-applicant (Pasco County) of the state of Florida.

Small Business Administration

• As of Aug. 19: Total SBA applications received: 108,766; approved: 36,848

1. Homeowner loans approved: $1.1 billion
2. Business loans approved: $250 million
3. Economic injury loans approved: $57.6 million

Interagency Recovery Coordination

• Six Recovery Support Functions activated to meet challenges presented by Irma and ensure interagency coordination for disaster recovery.
• Coordinated Place Based Recovery Support teams embedded in the four counties that sustained damage with limited capacity to recover without assistance: Collier, Hendry, Lee and Monroe.
• Six task forces organized to tackle complex challenges created by Hurricane Irma. 
• Notable accomplishments:

1. Facilitated a $1.1 million grant to fund five Local Disaster Recovery Manager positions and offer from nonprofit to pay the cost share for the LDRM in Monroe County.
2. Provided additional financial assistance as well as technical guidance and training sessions to support the Hurricane Irma recovery.

Volunteer Efforts

•  47,000 people volunteered 1.5 million hours to assist survivors.
• 48 Long-Term Recovery Groups comprised of volunteers, civic groups and residents of the affected areas continue working with survivors.

1. FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons are helping LTRGs as they develop bylaws and committees and identify services that may be available to aid survivors.       

FEMA Operations

• As of Aug. 20, 577 FEMA employees deployed to Florida to help with recovery issues.
• At the peak of the response to Hurricane Irma, more than 3,300 federal workers—from nearly 40 agencies—were deployed to Florida to assist survivors.

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