Feds Allocate $25M For Gulf Coast Recovery

WASHINGTON - Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate have announced over $25 million in newly approved Gulf Coast rebuilding projects to assist communities as they continue to recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita—the latest in a series of Gulf Coast recovery projects that have totaled more than $2.5 billion since the start of the Obama administration.

"Over the past twenty months, this administration has cut bureaucratic red tape that had slowed recovery and expedited assistance across the Gulf Coast," said Secretary Napolitano. "We will continue to work with our federal, state and local, private sector, faith-based and nonprofit partners, as well as Gulf Coast residents, to ensure local communities have the assistance they need to rebuild the region stronger than ever."

Today's announced projects include:

Xavier University: Over $11 million to the State of Louisiana to help Xavier University rebuild the Student Center. 22 main buildings on the campus of Xavier University, America's only historically black and Catholic university, were severely damaged when the school was engulfed in up to seven feet of floodwaters during Hurricane Katrina, including the student center and the gymnasium. FEMA is funding replacement projects for both. In total to date, FEMA has provided more than $55 million in federal grants to Xavier University in response to the storm. Currently, repairs are underway across the campus, and the replacement gymnasium is in the design phase of construction.
Archdiocese of New Orleans: Over $2.7 million to the Archdiocese of New Orleans St. Martin Manor Yellow Masonry Assisted Living Complex to help replace the Yellow Brick building. Katrina caused severe wind and wind driven rain damage to the assisted living complex.
St. Tammany Parish School Board: Over $1.4 million to Salmen High School to help replace athletic department facilities. High wind and flood waters from Katrina caused damages to the weight room building and an adjacent storage building located at the school.
St. Bernard Parish Sanitary Sewage Collection System: Over $5.1 million to repair the sanitary sewer system in St. Bernard Parish. Damages occurred from uprooted trees, backfill erosion, flooding of manholes and equipment, infiltration and overburden.
Roman Catholic Church/Archdiocese of New Orleans Our Lady of Lourdes School Campus: Over $2.5 million to help repair several classrooms that were deeply damaged by Katrina.
Cameron Parish: $3 million to repair damages to the Cameron Parish recreation center and gymnasium.
Jefferson Parish (Rita): Roughly $1.1 million to add 12 properties from the alternative property list. The structures will be elevated or reconstructed in compliance with the latest building codes as well as to one foot above Advisory Base Flood Elevation. This additional funding brings the total federal funding for the project to nearly $6.2 million, which will cover 25 pilot reconstructions and 11 elevation projects of flood prone structures throughout Jefferson Parish.
Hancock County, Miss.: More than $1.6 million to upgrade Hancock North Central Elementary to include a hardened shelter.