Well, folks will be returning to Galveston tomorrow, being allowed to re-enter after 6 am tomorrow morning. While the island is being re-opened, there is still a long expected wait to restore power to the homes on the island.
The process for having your power turned back on is not a simple one. Because electrical components were submerged, homeowners must have their homes inspected by an electrician. Once the inspection is done, the homeowner must obtain a permit from the city inspector before CenterPoint Energy is allowed to turn the power back on.
FEMA is currently operating two points of distribution on the island, but it’s not clear how long they’ll remain open. So FEMA is advising residents to make sure they have food and water when they come back.
As for Houston, CenterPoint Energy officials today said most customers would have their power restored by Sunday. The company said it has restored power to 75 percent of its customer base, but as of this morning, 600,000 customers remained without power, especially in eastern areas of service.
Officials said they underestimated the outages Ike would cause. They predicted about 1 million people would lose power, but Ike more than doubled those figures. As a result the company says it did not have enough manpower originally to make the mass repairs.
Now for Louisiana news...
Fearing that federal recovery dollars for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike won't fully cover residents' crucial home repair needs, Louisiana officials are devising a new state strategy for housing relief.
Their fundamental concern: making sure that billions of dollars already spent on homes damaged by Katrina and Rita in 2005 won't go to waste.
Their fundamental concern: making sure that billions of dollars already spent on homes damaged by Katrina and Rita in 2005 won't go to waste.
Nothing like the state's massive Road Home recovery program for Katrina and Rita exists for Gustav and Ike. Victims of this month's storms have their private insurance, but named storm deductibles of 2 percent to 5 percent are sure to leave gaps for those facing major repairs.
On Monday, Gov. Bobby Jindal sent a letter to Congress estimating that Louisianians could face a total of $3 billion in uninsured housing losses and asking for full funding of federal programs the state can tap to plug that gap.
"The state will need to design programs in concert with local communities to rebuild and recoup these losses, " Jindal wrote. I still like the way this guy operates!
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has now offered more extensive home repair aid than it offered after Katrina and Rita, but it's capped at $28,800 for each household and is designed only to make houses or apartments livable again.
The FEMA process will, however, assist property owners in applying for low-interest Small Business Administration loans, which are designed to restore homes to pre-storm conditions.
FEMA officials say applicants can expect to wait 10 to 14 days for an inspection of damaged property and another 10 days for a decision on a repair grant. It's unclear how long it would take for money to be made available after the decision.
