AUSTIN, Texas – On the night of Aug. 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey roared to shore on San Jose Island as a Category 4 hurricane leaving a path of devastation in its wake. Two years later, evidence of Harvey’s destruction remains, but with sweat, courage and determination, Texas survivors and their communities have made strong progress in their recovery.
Hurricane Harvey is on track to become the second-costliest U.S. natural disaster — only Hurricane Katrina that struck the Gulf Coast in 2005 caused more damage. Although the damage estimates are high, federal, state and local funds along with nonprofit assistance, volunteer hours and donations have helped Texans recover.
Texans have nearly $14 billion in federal funds in their hands including grants, loans and flood insurance payments to assist in repair and replacement of their homes and their belongings. FEMA Public Assistance has awarded more than $1.73 billion in grants for debris removal, measures taken to prepare for Harvey and permanent repair or replacement of public infrastructure. And, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program in conjunction with the Texas Division of Emergency Management has funded $217 million for projects to limit damages caused by future disasters.
Although great strides have been made in the Harvey recovery, much work remains. Many permanent infrastructure projects are completed or starting to come together, beaches are being repaired, children are returning to their school buildings and residents continue to go home — to a repaired home or a completely different one.
As the second anniversary of Harvey’s landfall looms, Texans find themselves in the midst of another hurricane season. There is not a better time to plan for the unexpected than now. For more information on preparing for a disaster, visit ready.gov.
For additional information on Hurricane Harvey and Texas recovery, visit the Hurricane Harvey disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4332, Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMAharvey, the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at www.twitter.com/FEMARegion6 or the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at https://www.dps.texas.gov/dem/.
