
More than a year after Hurricane Ike tore through Galveston, Texas, and the surrounding areas, recovery continues and city officials are struggling to find ways to pay to rebuild, according to The Galveston Daily News and WKHOU-TV.
Although Galveston stands to get the biggest share of $844 million in a second round of federal disaster aid, city officials said it’s not enough to repair all the houses, roads, sewers, water pipes and other infrastructure damaged when Hurricane Ike struck the island Sept. 13, 2008, the news sources report. Here is an excerpt from today's story:
"We want our people back," City Manager Steve LeBlanc told the Houston-Galveston Area Council at a public hearing Wednesday. "We need housing to do that. We need infrastructure to do that."
Galveston still is reeling from latent effects of the hurricane, including the loss of up to 20 percent of the population and a dip in property values that forced the city to raise taxes "just to make ends meet," LeBlanc said. The city also is facing mounting problems with flood-damaged streets, sewers and water pipes, outgoing Deputy City Manager Brandon Wade said.
Since the storm, the city has held together its infrastructure with pumps, generators and "zip ties," Wade said.
The regional organization charged with distributing the disaster recovery money to 12 area counties hit hard by Ike has tentatively recommended allocating $729.5 million, or 86 percent, of $844 million to area cities and counties to administer.
More than $100 million of the $844 million would go to the state for an affordable housing program in the area, and $9.9 million will go to the state to repair area medical facilities. Of the $729.5 million allocated to area cities and counties, $189.8 million, 26 percent, would go to Galveston, and $178.6 million, 25 percent, would go to Galveston County.
The Houston-Galveston Area Council will vote on the allocations Monday. The organization recommended in February allocating similar percentages to the city and county from a first round of disaster recovery money. That money is not expected to trickle down to city and county homeowners until March, at the earliest.
Galveston city officials told the area council Wednesday that rounds one and two funding combined would pay for only 20 percent of the cost to repair damaged city infrastructure and the more than 17,000 Galveston houses flooded during Ike.
Two-thirds of homeowners were uninsured, Sterling Patrick, the city’s director of grants and housing, said.
What happened in Galveston and the problems that continue to plague that community are examples of why a community-wide approach to property protection against hurricanes - and other natural disasters - is the best way to prepare, according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Learn more about how to rebuild your community stronger or how to begin working with your neighbors now - before the worst happens - to create a more resilient community.