Sugar Land Sun - News
County Judge: hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in Fort Bend
By AUDREY M. MARKS
Fort Bend County is looking at a recovery from Hurricane Ike that will easily total hundreds of millions of dollars, County Judge Bob Hebert said Tuesday.
But the good news while the county is fronting the costs, there is a good chance that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will foot the bill, he said.
“FEMA has authorized a 100 percent reimbursement until September 24th,” Hebert said during Tuesday’s County Commission meeting.
But “We have [costs] over the $15 million dollars we’re authorizing for the damages we’ve incurred.”
The county approved an initial expenditure of $15 million from the general fund to pay for the recovery efforts, though the debris pickup alone will cost the county an estimated $20 million.
As part of the recovering effort Gov. Rick Perry met with Hebert Sept. 23 in Richmond to get a briefing on the state of Fort Bend County.
Perry arrived from San Antonio Tuesday afternoon after visiting with Gulf Coast residents who were taken to shelters.
Perry told reporters at a media briefing that he believed FEMA would help Texas with the rebuilding and recovery.
“I think FEMA will step to the plate,” Perry said. “We have a good working relationship and we’re seeing a responsiveness out of our federal partners that is appropriate.”
When asked about the number of residents in Texas being rejected by FEMA for help, Perry said he did not know the number.
“I don't have any numbers about who was turned down and why they were turned down...that’s more of a FEMA responsibility,” Perry said.
Perry said Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was in Washington, D.C. Tuesday asking Congress for a preliminary $10 billion in federal assistance.
“Call that a down payment, a first waive of requests,” Perry said. “It will be some time before we... know what the total dollar amount will come to.”
Despite the destruction and devastation, Hebert said Fort Bend County residents are lucky to get away with the damage they’ve experienced.
He said the county saw eight people injured, several hundred homes severely damaged and thousands of homes impacted one way or another by Hurricane Ike.
“We dodged a bullet,” Hebert said. “We have damage to county facilities; I guess the hardest hit was First Colony Library.”
Hebert said the Sugar Land-based library has structural damage and reports of water damage.
Hebert announced during the commission meeting that Fort Bend is part of a pilot program through FEMA that would increase the reimbursement rate after the President’s disaster declaration has run out.
“Even when that expires we’ll be eligible for 80 percent reimbursement,” Hebert said.
He attributed the county’s diligent drills and aggressive emergency plans for qualifying for the FEMA program.
We’re “trying to get obviously as much done in the days we’re eligible for 100 percent reimbursement,” Hebert said. “But the trick is we must pay those costs.”
Hebert estimates that it takes 60 to 90 days to get money back after FEMA conducts an audit of the invoices.
“Worst case we’ll get 80 cents on the dollar back,” he said.
But the good news while the county is fronting the costs, there is a good chance that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will foot the bill, he said.
“FEMA has authorized a 100 percent reimbursement until September 24th,” Hebert said during Tuesday’s County Commission meeting.
But “We have [costs] over the $15 million dollars we’re authorizing for the damages we’ve incurred.”
The county approved an initial expenditure of $15 million from the general fund to pay for the recovery efforts, though the debris pickup alone will cost the county an estimated $20 million.
As part of the recovering effort Gov. Rick Perry met with Hebert Sept. 23 in Richmond to get a briefing on the state of Fort Bend County.
Perry arrived from San Antonio Tuesday afternoon after visiting with Gulf Coast residents who were taken to shelters.
Perry told reporters at a media briefing that he believed FEMA would help Texas with the rebuilding and recovery.
“I think FEMA will step to the plate,” Perry said. “We have a good working relationship and we’re seeing a responsiveness out of our federal partners that is appropriate.”
When asked about the number of residents in Texas being rejected by FEMA for help, Perry said he did not know the number.
“I don't have any numbers about who was turned down and why they were turned down...that’s more of a FEMA responsibility,” Perry said.
Perry said Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was in Washington, D.C. Tuesday asking Congress for a preliminary $10 billion in federal assistance.
“Call that a down payment, a first waive of requests,” Perry said. “It will be some time before we... know what the total dollar amount will come to.”
Despite the destruction and devastation, Hebert said Fort Bend County residents are lucky to get away with the damage they’ve experienced.
He said the county saw eight people injured, several hundred homes severely damaged and thousands of homes impacted one way or another by Hurricane Ike.
“We dodged a bullet,” Hebert said. “We have damage to county facilities; I guess the hardest hit was First Colony Library.”
Hebert said the Sugar Land-based library has structural damage and reports of water damage.
Hebert announced during the commission meeting that Fort Bend is part of a pilot program through FEMA that would increase the reimbursement rate after the President’s disaster declaration has run out.
“Even when that expires we’ll be eligible for 80 percent reimbursement,” Hebert said.
He attributed the county’s diligent drills and aggressive emergency plans for qualifying for the FEMA program.
We’re “trying to get obviously as much done in the days we’re eligible for 100 percent reimbursement,” Hebert said. “But the trick is we must pay those costs.”
Hebert estimates that it takes 60 to 90 days to get money back after FEMA conducts an audit of the invoices.
“Worst case we’ll get 80 cents on the dollar back,” he said.
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