HOUSTON, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided more than 1 billion U.S. dollars to Texans, the Houston Public Media reported on Tuesday.
The report quoted Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin Hannes as saying that the speed of this assistance is historic for Texas, aiming to aid "in their personal recovery" since the government declared Hurricane Harvey a disaster on Aug. 25.
The funds include grants to households from the FEMA, claims payments from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), said the Houston Public Media, a Service of the University of Houston.
"This is a major milestone in our collective effort to support Texans in their recovery," said Kevin Hannes, adding "a billion dollars is going directly to survivors of Hurricane Harvey three weeks after the President declared a major disaster. This will help people get started rebuilding their lives."
Harris County where Houston is located has received the highest amount of FEMA housing assistance -- more than 198 million U.S. dollars -- for help with costs related to rent, repairs and personal property loss.
The coastal Galveston County follows at more than 44 million dollars.
As of Sept. 17, FEMA has approved several grants to support flooding victims, including more than 333 million dollars in grants for eligible individuals and families in 39 counties for housing assistance, and over 146 million dollars in grants for replacement of essential personal property and help with medical, dental, legal and other disaster-related expenses.
Meanwhile, NFIP paid more than 347 million dollars to policyholders in advance payments to expedite the recovery process.
The SBA approved more than 265 million dollars in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses.
Hurricane Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in over 50 years, displacing more than 1 million and damaged some 200,000 houses in a path of destruction that stretches for more than 480 kilometers.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said earlier this month that the damage from Hurricane Harvey would likely reach 150 billion dollars to 180 billion dollars.
