Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Congressional research reportFeb 26, 2019
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes
Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Bruce R. Lindsay, Coordinator
Analyst in American National Government
Jared C. Nagel, Coordinator
Senior Research Librarian
Updated February 26, 2019
Congressional Research Service
7-....
www.crs.gov
R43139
Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Summary
This report provides information on federal financial assistance provided to the Gulf States after
major disasters were declared in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in response
to the widespread destruction that resulted from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005 and
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.
Though the storms happened over a decade ago, Congress has remained interested in the types
and amounts of federal assistance that were provided to the Gulf Coast for several reasons. This
includes how the money has been spent, what resources have been provided to the region, and
whether the money has reached the intended people and entities. The financial information is also
useful for congressional oversight of the federal programs provided in response to the storms. It
gives Congress a general idea of the federal assets that are needed and can be brought to bear
when catastrophic disasters take place in the United States. Finally, the financial information from
the storms can help frame the congressional debate concerning federal assistance for current and
future disasters.
The financial information for the 2005 and 2008 Gulf Coast storms is provided in two sections of
this report:
1. Table 1 of Section I summarizes disaster assistance supplemental appropriations
enacted into public law primarily for the needs associated with the five
hurricanes, with the information categorized by federal department and agency;
and
2. Section II contains information on the federal assistance provided to the five
Gulf Coast states through the most significant federal programs, or categories of
programs.
The financial findings in this report include the following:
Congress has appropriated roughly $121.7 billion in hurricane relief for the 2005
and 2008 hurricanes in 10 supplemental appropriations statutes.
The appropriated funds have been distributed among 11 departments, 3
independent agencies/entities, numerous subentities, and the federal judiciary.
Congress appropriated almost half of the funds ($53.8 billion, or 44% of the
total) to the Department of Homeland Security, most of which went to the
Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) administered by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA).
Congress targeted roughly 22% of the total appropriations (almost $27 billion) to
the Department of Housing and Urban Development for community development
and housing programs.
Approximately 20% ($25 billion) was appropriated to Department of Defense
entities: $15.6 billion for civil construction and engineering activities undertaken
by the Army Corps of Engineers and $9.2 billion for military personnel,
operations, and construction costs.
FEMA has reported that roughly $5.9 billion has been obligated from the DRF
after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma to save lives and property through
mission assignments made to over 50 federal entities and the American Red
Cross (see Table 17), $160.4 million after Hurricane Gustav through 32 federal
entities (see Table 18), and $441 million after Hurricane Ike through 30 federal
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
entities (see Table 19). In total, federal agencies obligated roughly $6.5 billion
for mission assignments after the five hurricanes.
The Small Business Administration approved almost 177,000 applications in the
region for business, home, and economic injury loans, with a total loan value of
almost $12 billion (Table 28 and Table 29).
The Department of Education obligated roughly $1.8 billion to the five states for
elementary, secondary, and higher education assistance (Table 11).
This report also includes a brief summary of each hurricane and a discussion concerning federal
to state cost-shares. Federal assistance to states is triggered when the President issues a major
disaster declaration. In general, once declared the federal share for disaster recovery is 75% while
the state pays for 25% of recovery costs. However, in some cases the federal share can be
adjusted upward when a sufficient amount of damage has occurred, or when altered by Congress
(or both). In addition, how much federal assistance is provided to states for major disasters is
influenced not only by the declaration, but also by the percentage the federal government pays for
the assistance. This report includes a cost-share discussion because some of these incidents
received adjusted cost-shares in certain areas.
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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Hurricane Katrina ...................................................................................................................... 1
Hurricanes Rita and Wilma ....................................................................................................... 3
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike ........................................................................................................ 5
Information Categories and Data Collection Methods .................................................................... 7
Caveats and Limitations .................................................................................................................. 8
Section I: Summary of Gulf Coast Disaster Supplemental Appropriations .................................... 9
Section II. Agency-Specific Information on Gulf Coast Hurricane Federal Assistance ................ 13
Department of Agriculture ...................................................................................................... 14
Agricultural Research Service .......................................................................................... 15
Farm Service Agency ........................................................................................................ 15
Food and Nutrition Service ............................................................................................... 17
Natural Resources Conservation Service .......................................................................... 18
Forest Service ................................................................................................................... 18
Rural Housing Service ...................................................................................................... 21
Rural Utilities Service ....................................................................................................... 21
Department of Commerce ....................................................................................................... 22
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.......................................................... 22
Economic Development Administration Economic Adjustment Assistance
Program.......................................................................................................................... 23
Department of Defense (Civil) ................................................................................................ 24
Army Corps of Engineers ................................................................................................. 24
Department of Defense (Military) .......................................................................................... 24
Military Personnel............................................................................................................. 24
Operations and Maintenance............................................................................................. 25
Procurement ...................................................................................................................... 25
Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation .................................................................. 25
Military Construction (MILCON) and Family Housing ................................................... 25
Management Funds ........................................................................................................... 26
Other Department of Defense Programs ........................................................................... 26
Department of Education ........................................................................................................ 27
Elementary and Secondary Education .............................................................................. 27
Higher Education .............................................................................................................. 29
Department of Health and Human Services ............................................................................ 32
Administration for Children and Families ........................................................................ 32
Public Health and Medical Assistance .............................................................................. 34
Administrative Waivers..................................................................................................... 36
Public Health Emergency Fund ........................................................................................ 36
Department of Homeland Security.......................................................................................... 37
Federal Emergency Management Agency ........................................................................ 37
FEMA Mission Assignments by Federal Entity ................................................................ 39
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)....................................................... 43
Community Development Block Grants ........................................................................... 43
Rental Assistance/Section 8 Vouchers .............................................................................. 44
Supportive Housing .......................................................................................................... 45
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Public Housing Repair ...................................................................................................... 46
Inspector General .............................................................................................................. 46
Department of Justice .............................................................................................................. 46
Legal Activities ................................................................................................................. 47
United States Marshals Service ........................................................................................ 48
Federal Bureau of Investigation ........................................................................................ 49
Drug Enforcement Administration .................................................................................... 50
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ................................................... 51
Federal Prison System (Bureau of Prisons) ...................................................................... 52
Office of Justice Programs ................................................................................................ 53
Department of Labor ............................................................................................................... 55
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Dislocated Worker Activities ........ 55
Department of Transportation ................................................................................................. 57
Federal Highway Administration: Emergency Relief Program (ER)................................ 57
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ............................................................................ 58
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)............................................................................... 58
Department of Veterans Affairs ............................................................................................... 59
Medical Center in New Orleans ........................................................................................ 59
Armed Forces Retirement Homes ..................................................................................... 60
Corporation for National and Community Service ................................................................. 61
Environmental Protection Agency .......................................................................................... 61
Hurricane Emergency Response Authorities .................................................................... 62
EPA Hurricane Response .................................................................................................. 63
Funding Narrative ............................................................................................................. 63
EPA Regular Appropriations ............................................................................................. 65
The Federal Judiciary .............................................................................................................. 66
Small Business Administration ............................................................................................... 66
Disaster Assistance Program ............................................................................................. 66
Cost-Shares and Programmatic Considerations: Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, Dennis, and
Rita ............................................................................................................................................. 68
Administrative and Congressional Waivers of Cost-Shares .................................................... 68
Concluding Observations and Policy Questions ........................................................................... 69
Potential Methods for Controlling Costs Associated with Major Disasters ............................ 72
Rationale for Keeping the Disaster Assistance the Same.................................................. 72
Limiting the Number of Major Disaster Declarations Being Issued ................................. 72
The Use of State Capacity Indicators................................................................................ 73
Expert Panels .................................................................................................................... 74
Emergency Loans.............................................................................................................. 74
Changes to the Stafford Act .............................................................................................. 75
Reducing the Amount of Assistance Provided Through Declarations .............................. 76
Policy Questions...................................................................................................................... 76
Figures
Figure 1. Hurricane Katrina............................................................................................................. 2
Figure 2. Hurricane Rita .................................................................................................................. 4
Figure 3. Hurricane Wilma .............................................................................................................. 5
Figure 4. Hurricane Gustav ............................................................................................................. 6
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Figure 5. Hurricane Ike.................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 6. Major Disaster Declarations........................................................................................... 71
Tables
Table 1. Estimated Gulf Coast Supplemental Appropriations for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita,
Wilma, Gustav, and Ike .............................................................................................................. 10
Table 2. Disaster Relief Funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 2005 Gulf
Coast Hurricanes ........................................................................................................................ 14
Table 3. 2005 Hurricane Disaster Relief Payments for Crops and Livestock by State ................. 16
Table 4. 2008 Agricultural Disaster Relief Program Payments by State ....................................... 16
Table 5. Disaster Relief Funding Through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program .......... 18
Table 6. Forest Service Programs Used to Grant Assistance after Hurricanes in 2005 and
2008 ............................................................................................................................................ 19
Table 7. Forest Service 2005 and 2008 Hurricane Recovery Funding .......................................... 20
Table 8. Disaster Relief Funding for Commercial Fisheries ......................................................... 22
Table 9. Disaster Relief Funding Appropriations for the Army Corps of Engineers ..................... 24
Table 10. Disaster Relief Funding by the Department of Defense (Military) ............................... 26
Table 11. Disaster Relief Funding Administered by the Department of Education
Provided in Response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike .......................................... 31
Table 12. Disaster Relief Funding for Programs at the HHS Administration for Children
and Families ............................................................................................................................... 34
Table 13. Disaster Relief Funding for Crisis Counseling, Mental Health, and Substance
Abuse Services ........................................................................................................................... 36
Table 14. Disaster Relief Funding for Health Care Costs and Infrastructure ................................ 37
Table 15. Disaster Relief Funding for Communications Equipment and Mosquito
Abatement .................................................................................................................................. 37
Table 16. Disaster Relief Funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike ..................................................................... 38
Table 17. Mission Assignment Funding by Agency: Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and Rita ......... 39
Table 18. Mission Assignments by Agency: Hurricane Gustav .................................................... 41
Table 19. Mission Assignments by Agency: Hurricane Ike ........................................................... 42
Table 20. Distribution of CDBG Disaster Recovery Funds for Selected States, by Disaster
Declaration ................................................................................................................................. 44
Table 21. Disaster Relief Funding by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development .............................................................................................................................. 46
Table 22. Disaster Relief Funding for the Department of Justice.................................................. 54
Table 23. Disaster Relief Funding by the Department of Labor.................................................... 56
Table 24. Emergency Relief Obligations for Gulf Coast Hurricanes ............................................ 58
Table 25. Disaster Relief Funding by Modal Administration/Program ......................................... 59
TTable 26. Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations for the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA): P.L. 109-148 and P.L. 109-234......................................................... 64
Table 27. Disaster Relief Funding by the Federal Judiciary .......................................................... 66
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Table 28. Small Business Administration: Number of Approved Disaster Assistance
Loans For the Five Hurricanes ................................................................................................... 67
Table 29. Small Business Administration: Approved Disaster Loan Applications by
Amount ....................................................................................................................................... 67
Table 30. Disaster Relief Fund Annual Appropriations FY2007-FY2016 .................................... 70
Table A-1. Contributing Authors ................................................................................................... 78
Appendixes
Appendix. Contributing Authors ................................................................................................... 78
Contacts
Author Contact Information .......................................................................................................... 79
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Introduction
This report provides a comprehensive summary of the federal financial assistance provided to the
Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in response to the
widespread destruction that resulted from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005 and
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.
The damages caused by the hurricanes are some of the worst in the history of the United States in
terms of lives lost and property damaged and destroyed. The federal government played a
significant role in the response to the hurricanes and Congress appropriated funds for a wide
range of activities and efforts to help the Gulf Coast states recover and rebuild from the storms. In
addition, Congress appropriated a significant amount of funds for mitigation activities and
projects to reduce or eliminate the impacts of future storms.
Though the storms happened over a decade ago, Congress remains interested in the types and
amounts of federal assistance that were provided to the Gulf Coast for several reasons. For one,
Congress continues to be interested in how the money has been spent, what resources have been
provided to the region, and whether the money has reached the people and entities intended to
receive the funds. The financial information is also useful for congressional oversight and
evaluation of the federal entities that were responsible for response and recovery operations.
Similarly, it gives Congress a general idea of the federal assets that are needed and can be brought
to bear when catastrophic disasters take place in the United States. As such, the financial
information from the storms can help frame the congressional debate concerning federal
assistance for current and future disasters.
The financial information provided in this report includes a summary of appropriations provided
to the Gulf Coast states by Congress in response to the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes. In addition,
when available, hurricane-specific and state-specific funding information is provided by federal
entity.
Background1
The 2005 hurricane season was a record-breaking season for hurricanes and storms. There were
13 hurricanes in 2005, breaking the old record of 12 hurricanes set in 1969.2 The 2005 season also
set a record for the number of category 5 storms (three) in a season.3 Most of the damaging
effects caused by the hurricanes were experienced in the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana,
Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas. The 2008 hurricane season was also an active
hurricane season that caused additional damage in the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Katrina
On August 23, 2005, Hurricane Katrina began about 200 miles southeast of Nassau in the
Bahamas as a tropical depression. It became a tropical storm the following day. On August 24-25,
2005, the storm moved through the northwestern Bahamas and then turned westward toward
southern Florida. Katrina became a hurricane just before making landfall near the MiamiDade/Broward county line during the evening of August 25, 2005. The hurricane moved
1 This section was coauthored by Bruce Lindsay, Analyst in American National Government, Government and Finance
Division; and Jared Nagel, Information Research Specialist, Government and Finance Division.
2 “Colorado State U. Review Finds 2005 Hurricane Season ‘Most Active,’” Insurance Journal, February 5, 2006.
3 Ibid.
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southwestward across southern Florida into the eastern Gulf of Mexico on August 26, 2005.
Katrina then strengthened significantly, reaching category 5 intensity on August 28. On August
29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southern Plaquemines Parish, LA. The storm
affected a broad geographic area—stretching from Alabama, across coastal Mississippi, to
southeast Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina was reported as a category 4 storm when it initially made
landfall in Louisiana, but was later downgraded to a category 3 storm. Even as a category 3
storm, Hurricane Katrina was one of the strongest storms to impact the U.S. Gulf Coast. The
force of the storm was significant. The winds to the east of the storm’s center were estimated to
be nearly 125 mph (see Figure 1).4
Figure 1. Hurricane Katrina
Source: Assistance information obtained from Federal Emergency Management Agency, Disasters, available at
https://www.fema.gov/disasters; storm path information obtained from National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration, Historical Hurricane Tracks, available at https://coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes/.
Notes: Public Assistance covers the repairs or replacement of infrastructure (roads, bridges, public buildings,
etc.) but also includes debris removal and emergency protective measures which may cover additional costs for
local public safety groups incurred by their actions in responding to the disaster. Individual Assistance includes
various forms of help for families and individuals following a disaster event. The assistance authorized by the
Stafford Act can include housing assistance, disaster unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, and other
programs intended to address the needs of people.
The Gulf Coast has had a history of devastating hurricanes, but Hurricane Katrina was singular in
many respects. Approximately 1.2 million people evacuated from the New Orleans metropolitan
4 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Hurricanes in History.” See Katrina, available at
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/history/#katrina.
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area.5 While the evacuation helped to save lives, over 1,800 people died in the storm. 6 In addition,
Hurricane Katrina destroyed or made uninhabitable an estimated 300,000 homes7 and displaced
over 400,000 citizens.8 Economic losses from the storm were estimated to be between $125
billion and $150 billion.9
Hurricanes Rita and Wilma
Two other hurricanes made landfall in the Gulf Coast shortly after Hurricane Katrina that added
to recovery costs and impeded recovery efforts. On September 24, 2005, Hurricane Rita made
landfall on the Texas and Louisiana border as a category 3 storm. Rita also hit parts of Arkansas
and Florida. Hurricane Rita caused widespread property damage to the Gulf Coast; however,
there were few deaths or injuries reported.10 Rita produced rainfalls of 5 to 9 inches over large
portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and eastern Texas, with isolated amounts of 10 to 15 inches.11
In addition, storm surge flooding and wind damage occurred in southwestern Louisiana and
southeastern Texas, with some surge damage occurring in the Florida Keys (see Figure 2).12
5 U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Hurricane Katrina: A Nation
Still Unprepared, 109th Cong., 2nd sess., S.Rept. 109-322 (Washington: GPO, 2006), p. 42.
6 See National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climate Data Center Billion-Dollar
Weather/Climate Disaster website, available at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events.
7 The White House, The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned, February 23, 2006, p. 7, available
at http://library.stmarytx.edu/acadlib/edocs/katrinawh.pdf.
8 Kimberly A. Geaghan, Forced to Move: An Analysis of Hurricane Katrina Movers, U.S. Census Bureau, SEHSD
Working Paper, Washington DC, June 2011, p. 1, available at https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/programssurveys/ahs/working-papers/HK_Movers-FINAL.pdf.
9 Kristy Frame, Lynne Montgomery, and Christopher Newbury, Bank Performance after Natural Disasters: a
Historical Perspective, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, January 16, 2006, available at https://www.fdic.gov/
bank/analytical/regional/t4q2005.pdf.
10 This may have been the result of Texas and Louisiana officials evacuating over 3 million residents before Rita made
landfall. See National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Hurricanes in History” available at
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/history/#rita.
11 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, “Hurricanes in History,” available at
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/history.
12 Ibid.
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Figure 2. Hurricane Rita
Source: Assistance information obtained from Federal Emergency Management Agency, Disasters, available at
https://www.fema.gov/disasters; storm path information obtained from National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration, Historical Hurricane Tracks, available at https://coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes/.
Notes: Public Assistance covers the repairs or replacement of infrastructure (roads, bridges, public buildings,
etc.) but also includes debris removal and emergency protective measures which may cover additional costs for
local public safety groups incurred by their actions in responding to the disaster. Individual Assistance includes
various forms of help for families and individuals following a disaster event. The assistance authorized by the
Stafford Act can include housing assistance, disaster unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, and other
programs intended to address the needs of people.
On October 24, 2005, Hurricane Wilma made landfall as a category 3 hurricane in Cape Romano,
FL. The eye of Hurricane Wilma crossed the Florida Peninsula and then moved into the Atlantic
Ocean north of Palm Beach (see Figure 3).13 Hurricane Wilma killed five people in Florida and
caused widespread property damage in the Gulf Coast region.
13 Ibid.
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Figure 3. Hurricane Wilma
Source: Assistance information obtained from Federal Emergency Management Agency, Disasters, available at
https://www.fema.gov/disasters; storm path information obtained from National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration, Historical Hurricane Tracks, available at https://coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes/.
Notes: Public Assistance covers the repairs or replacement of infrastructure (roads, bridges, public buildings,
etc.) but also includes debris removal and emergency protective measures which may cover additional costs for
local public safety groups incurred by their actions in responding to the disaster. Individual Assistance includes
various forms of help for families and individuals following a disaster event. The assistance authorized by the
Stafford Act can include housing assistance, disaster unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, and other
programs intended to address the needs of people.
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike
In 2008, the Gulf Coast was once again affected by storms that caused billions of dollars in
additional damage. On September 1, 2008, Hurricane Gustav made landfall near Cocodrie, LA, as
a category 2 storm, then swept across the region causing damages in Alabama, Florida,
Mississippi, and Texas (see Figure 4). Gustav produced rains over Louisiana and Arkansas that
caused moderate flooding along many rivers, and is known to have produced 41 tornadoes: 21 in
Mississippi, 11 in Louisiana, 6 in Florida, 2 in Arkansas, and 1 in Alabama.14
14 John L. Beven II and Todd B. Kimberlain, Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Gustav, National Hurricane Center,
AL072008, January 22, 2009, p. a, available at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL072008_Gustav.pdf.
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Figure 4. Hurricane Gustav
Source: Assistance information obtained from Federal Emergency Management Agency, Disasters, available at
https://www.fema.gov/disasters; storm path information obtained from National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration, Historical Hurricane Tracks, available at https://coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes/.
Notes: Public Assistance covers the repairs or replacement of infrastructure (roads, bridges, public buildings,
etc.) but also includes debris removal and emergency protective measures which may cover additional costs for
local public safety groups incurred by their actions in responding to the disaster. Individual Assistance includes
various forms of help for families and individuals following a disaster event. The assistance authorized by the
Stafford Act can include housing assistance, disaster unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, and other
programs intended to address the needs of people.
Hurricane Ike made landfall as a category 2 storm near Galveston, Texas, on September 13, 2008,
with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. The hurricane weakened as it moved inland across
eastern Texas and Arkansas. Hurricane Ike’s storm surge devastated the Bolivar Peninsula of
Texas, and surge, winds, and flooding from heavy rains caused widespread damage in other
portions of southeastern Texas, western Louisiana, and Arkansas and killed 20 people in these
areas (see Figure 5).15 Additionally, as an extratropical system over the Ohio Valley, Ike was
directly or indirectly responsible for 28 deaths and more than $1 billion in property damage in
areas outside of the Gulf Coast.16
15 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, “Hurricanes in History,” available at
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/history.
16 Ibid.
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Figure 5. Hurricane Ike
Source: Assistance information obtained from Federal Emergency Management Agency, Disasters, available at
https://www.fema.gov/disasters; storm path information obtained from National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration, Historical Hurricane Tracks, available at https://coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes/.
Notes: Public Assistance covers the repairs or replacement of infrastructure (roads, bridges, public buildings,
etc.) but also includes debris removal and emergency protective measures which may cover additional costs for
local public safety groups incurred by their actions in responding to the disaster. Individual Assistance includes
various forms of help for families and individuals following a disaster event. The assistance authorized by the
Stafford Act can include housing assistance, disaster unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, and other
programs intended to address the needs of people.
Information Categories and Data Collection
Methods
The following two sections provide funding data and narratives describing the assistance that was
provided to the Gulf Coast in response to the 2005 and 2008 hurricane seasons. Section I presents
funding provided to the five Gulf Coast states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Texas) after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike. Funding amounts were compiled
by CRS analysts who reviewed legislative texts of supplemental appropriations. The amounts are
disaggregated by federal entity and subentity, insofar as possible and applicable. The data are
based on the analysts’ interpretations of disaster assistance. Some data were excluded from
Section I because CRS analysts found that the data either were too ambiguous or covered
disasters not limited to the Gulf Coast. Certain amounts pertaining to a range of disasters were
included, however, because CRS analysts determined that most of the funds went to the Gulf
Coast states.
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Section II presents funding by federal agency. The amounts reported may reflect expenditures,
obligations, allocations, or appropriations. The data in this section are not based solely on those in
Section I. Rather, the data in Section II were derived from a variety of authoritative sources,
including agency websites, CRS experts who received information directly from agencies, and
governmental reports. Section II presents funding information by federal entity and includes a
narrative summarizing each agency’s disaster assistance efforts. The sections also provide the
authorities that authorized the activities that were provided. When possible, funding data are
provided in tabular form.
It should be noted that the data on appropriations in Section I, Table 1, are not directly
comparable to funding data in Section II. The former were drawn solely from the public laws
cited in the source note to Table 1. The data in Section II were obtained, as cited in each
subsection, from a range of published and unpublished sources, and include various fiscal years.
Caveats and Limitations
Funding data on federal (and nonfederal) assistance are not systematically collected. Given the
absence of comprehensive federal information on disaster assistance, the data provided in this
report should only be considered as an approximation, and should not be viewed as definitive.
In addition to the above, the following caveats apply to this report:
It is difficult to identify all of the federal entities that provide disaster relief
because many federal entities provide aid through a wide range of programs, not
necessarily through those designated specifically as “disaster assistance”
programs.17
Because data on federal (and nonfederal) assistance are not systematically
collected, funding data were drawn from a wide range of sources including
published and unpublished data that have been collected at different times and
under inconsistent reporting methods.
Following the exodus of thousands of residents from the Gulf Coast states after
Hurricane Katrina in 2005, many other states received federal assistance to cope
with the influx of those seeking aid. The aid provided to the states outside the
Gulf Coast is not discussed in this report.
The appropriations language reviewed for Section I usually designates funds to a
federal entity for a range of disasters without identifying how much funding is to
be disbursed to each incident. For example, P.L. 110-329, signed into law on
September 30, 2008, provided funds for several disasters that occurred in 2008,
including Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, wildfires in California, and the Midwest
floods. Determining the funding amounts directed toward each individual disaster
is difficult, if not impossible, unless the legislative text specifies these amounts.
An additional difficulty occurs in tracking funding at the agency level because
appropriations might be made, not to specific entities, but to budget accounts,
and then allocated for specified purposes.
The degree of transparency in reporting funding levels for disaster relief varies
tremendously among federal entities. As an example, Congress requires the
17 For example, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
also provides vouchers for disaster victims.
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to submit monthly status
reports on the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF).18 The DRF is FEMA’s disaster
assistance account. The DRF is used to fund existing recovery projects (including
reimbursements to other federal agencies for their work) and provide funding for
future emergencies and disasters as needed. The DRF reports must detail
obligations, allocations, and expenditures for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and
Wilma. This requirement has not been extended to other agencies, and scant data
exist, particularly on a state-by-state basis, on other federal funding for
emergencies and major disasters.
Appropriations may be subject to transfers or rescissions after enactment of
appropriations statutes. It is possible that such emendations to the initial
appropriations have not been identified in this research.
In addition to the above caveats, it should also be noted that there may have been funding changes
since this report was originally published in 2013 that are not represented in this updated version.
In some cases, additional obligations may have been provided and in other cases some funding
may have been recouped or otherwise transferred. The funding information in this report should
therefore be interpreted as illustrative as opposed to definitive, and used with appropriate caution.
Section I: Summary of Gulf Coast Disaster
Supplemental Appropriations
Table 1 presents data on the appropriations enacted after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma,
Gustav, and Ike from FY2005 to FY2009, by federal entity and subentity, when possible and
applicable. As mentioned earlier, in many cases funding for disaster relief is appropriated for
multiple incidents. Therefore, Table 1 may include data on appropriations that also provided
funding for non-Gulf Coast incidents. Some appropriations designated for a range of disasters
were excluded, however, in an attempt to avoid artificially inflating the amount of funding
directed to the Gulf Coast for hurricane relief.
Since FY2005, at least 10 appropriations bills have been enacted to address widespread
destruction caused by the 2005 and 2008 Gulf Coast hurricanes. These appropriations consisted of
eight emergency supplemental appropriations acts, one reconciliation act, and one continuing
appropriations resolution.19 In addition to these statutes that specifically identify the hurricanes or
the Gulf Coast states, it is likely that regular appropriations legislation also provided assistance to
the Gulf Coast. Because these statutes did not specify that they were providing such assistance,
regular appropriations are not included in Table 1.
18 P.L. 110-161, codified at 42 U.S.C. §5208.
19 These include P.L. 109-61, P.L. 109-62, P.L. 109-148, P.L. 109-171, P.L. 109-234, P.L. 110-28, P.L. 110-116, P.L.
110-252, P.L. 110-329, and P.L. 111-32.
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Table 1. Estimated Gulf Coast Supplemental Appropriations for Hurricanes Katrina,
Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
(Disaster-Related Supplemental Appropriations by Department/Agency; Nominal Dollars in Millions)
Department/Agency/Program
Estimated
Appropriation
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program
$82
Agricultural Research Service
$39
Emergency Conservation Program
$73
Farm Service Agency
$242
Executive Operations
$60
Food and Nutrition Service Commodity Assistance
$10
Forest Service
$77
Inspector General
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Other Emergency Appropriations
*
$351
*
Rural Housing Service
$90
Rural Utility Service
$53
Subtotal
$1,077
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Department of Commerce (nonspecified)
$400
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
$85
Marine Fishery Emergency Assistance Program
$260
Subtotal
$745
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (MILITARY)
Military Personnel
$540
Operations and Maintenance
$3,684
Procurement
$2,850
Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation
Military Construction and Family Housing
$54
$1,785
Management Funds
$66
Other Defense
$236
Subtotal
$9,215a
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (CIVIL)
Army Corps of Engineers Construction
$4,951
Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies
$9,926
Flood Damage Construction for FEMA
*
Mississippi River and Tributaries
General Expenses
Congressional Research Service
$154
$3
10
Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Department/Agency/Program
Estimated
Appropriation
Investigations
$43
Operations and Maintenance
$516
Subtotal
$15,593
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Office of Postsecondary Education
Subtotal
$1,689
$292
$1,981
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health Resources and Services Administration
Administration for Children and Families
$4
$1,240
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
$8
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
$2,000
Subtotal
$3,252
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Department of Homeland Security (nonspecified)
Customs and Border Protection
$9,157
$52
Federal Emergency Management Agency
$44,083b
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
$13
Office of Domestic Preparedness
$10
Office of Inspector General
$2
United States Coast Guard
$487
United States Secret Service
$4
Subtotal
$53,808
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN
DEVELOPMENT
Community Development Block Grants
$26,200
Rental Assistance/Section 8 Vouchers
$555
Supportive Housing
$73
Public Housing Repair
$15
Office of Inspector General
$7
Subtotal
$26,850
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Department of the Interior
$210
Bureau of Reclamation
$9
Mineral Management Service
$31
National Park Service
$117
National Park Service Historical Preservation Fund
Congressional Research Service
*
11
Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Department/Agency/Program
Estimated
Appropriation
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
$162
U.S. Geological Survey
$16
Subtotal
$545
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
$20
Drug Enforcement Administration
$10
Federal Bureau of Investigation
$45
Federal Prison System
$11
Legal Activities
$18
Office of Justice Programs
$175
U.S. Marshals Service
Subtotal
$9
$288
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Job Corps
$16
Employment and Training Administration
$125
Subtotal
$141
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Department of Transportation (nonspecified)
$722
Federal Aviation Administration
$41
Federal Highway Administration
$2,751
Federal Transportation Administration Grants
*
Maritime Administration
$8
Subtotal
$3,522
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Department Administration
$62
Veterans Health Administration
$198
Major Construction—Medical Facilities
$918
Subtotal
$1,178
ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME
Armed Forces Retirement Home
$242
Subtotal
$242
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Environmental Protection Agency (nonspecified)
Subtotal
$21
$21
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
General Services Administration (nonspecified)
Congressional Research Service
$75
12
Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Department/Agency/Program
Subtotal
Estimated
Appropriation
$75
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Small Business Administration (nonspecified)
Disaster Loans Program Account
Inspector General
Subtotal
$2,279
$441
$5
$2,725
THE JUDICIARY
The Federal Judiciary (nonspecified)
Subtotal
$18
$18
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
ADMINISTRATION
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(nonspecified)
Exploration Capabilities as a Consequence of Katrina
Subtotal
$385
*
$385
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY
SERVICE
Corporation for National and Community Service
Subtotal
Grand Total
$10
$10
$121,661
Source: Data derived from CRS database of appropriations. Statutes include P.L. 109-61, P.L. 109-62, P.L. 109148, P.L. 109-171, P.L. 109-234, P.L. 110-28, P.L. 110-116, P.L. 110-252, P.L. 110-329, and P.L. 111-32. This table
may not reflect rescissions applied after Congress appropriated these funds.
Notes: * Signifies appropriation of less than $1 million. Cells marked as “nonspecified” indicate appropriations
funded to a department generally.
a. This figure represents the amount appropriated after rescission of funds; it does not reflect that $1.5 billion
of these funds expired in FY2006 or were transferred for other purposes.
b. P.L. 109-62 (119 Stat. 1991) appropriated $50 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund. P.L. 109-148 (119 Stat.
2790) rescinded $23.4 billion of those funds.
Section II. Agency-Specific Information on Gulf
Coast Hurricane Federal Assistance
In the course of this research, CRS identified 11 federal departments, 4 federal agencies (or other
entities), and numerous subentities, programs, and activities that supplied roughly $121.7 billion
in federal assistance to the Gulf Coast states after the major hurricanes of 2005 (Katrina, Rita, and
Wilma) and 2008 (Gustav and Ike). Section II provides information on the most significant
programs, or categories of programs, through which the aid was provided. Each narrative contains
a summary of activities of each federal entity providing disaster relief. When possible, the
information is presented in tabular form and is disaster and state specific. Unless otherwise
specified, all figures are stated in nominal dollars.
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
As mentioned earlier, the data in Section II may not correspond to the emergency funds
appropriated by Congress for hurricane relief purposes specified in Section I. Reasons for the
difference include the following:
the tables in Section II present information from a variety of funding measures,
including obligations, allocations, and expenditures;20
some funds made available may have been reallocated or deobligated from other
purposes; and
money from accounts that did not terminate at the end of a fiscal year (known as
no-year accounts) may have been allocated to the Gulf Coast states.
Department of Agriculture21
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides a variety of disaster assistance for
hurricanes and other natural disasters. For the hurricanes covered in this report, the bulk of the
department’s funding has been disaster payments to producers who suffered production losses
and funding for land rehabilitation programs for cleanup and restoration projects, primarily under
P.L. 109-234 and through other authorities.22 The total USDA budget authority was over $1.0
billion for disaster relief following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma (Table 2). For these three
hurricanes, USDA also paid an additional $112 million in farm disaster benefits to farmers in the
Gulf States under various Farm Service Agency indemnity and grant programs, using funds
allocated from USDA’s “Section 32” Program (see “Farm Service Agency” section below).23
Hurricane-related support by individual agency for the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes is described in
separate sections below. State-specific data are provided where available and are current as of the
dates cited.
Table 2. Disaster Relief Funding by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 2005 Gulf
Coast Hurricanes
(Dollars in Thousands)
Department of Agriculture
Budget Authority
Obligations
Outlays
$39,000
$38,000
$37,000
Disaster payments-crop/livestock losses (excludes
Section 32)
$132,300
$132,300
$132,300
Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program
(EFCRP)
$81,800
$81,800
$68,600
Agricultural Research Service
Farm Service Agency
20 For a discussion of funding terminology, see CRS Report 98-410, Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology, by Bill
Heniff Jr.
21 This section was authored by the following individuals in the Resources, Science, and Industry Division: Megan
Stubbs, Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural Resources Policy; Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural
Resources Policy; Tadlock Cowan, Analyst in Natural Resources and Rural Development; and Randy Alison
Aussenberg, Specialist in Nutrition Assistance Policy, Domestic Social Policy Division.
22 In many cases, these other authorities have been amended or repealed by Congress and are no longer valid. For a
discussion of current agricultural disaster assistance programs, see CRS In Focus IF10565, Federal Disaster Assistance
for Agriculture, by Megan Stubbs; CRS Report RS21212, Agricultural Disaster Assistance, by Megan Stubbs; or CRS
Report R42854, Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation, by Megan Stubbs.
23 For more information on Section 32, see CRS Report RL34081, Farm and Food Support Under USDA’s Section 32
Program, coordinated by Jim Monke.
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Department of Agriculture
Budget Authority
Obligations
Outlays
$84,700
$73,400
$44,800
Food and Nutrition Service
$10,000
$10,000
$9,000
Forest Service
$77,000
$77,000
$77,000
$445
$445
$445
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
$351,000
$300,000
$287,000
Rural Housing Service
$128,000
$101,000
$63,000
Rural Utilities Service
$53,000
$34,000
$14,000
Working Capital Fund
$60,000
$59,000
$59,000
$1,017,245
$906,945
$792,145
Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)
Office of Inspector General
Total
Source: Budget Data Request No. 11-31 requested June 27, 2011, and provided July 20, 2011. Submission by
Office of Budget and Program Analysis, U.S. Department of Agriculture, to Office of Management and Budget.
Notes: Figures are for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in support of Gulf Coast recovery efforts and
include disaster payments made under P.L. 109-234. Excludes disaster payments made under Section 32 (see
Table 3) and disaster payments made under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246,
2008 farm bill, see Table 4).
Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is USDA’s chief scientific research agency. Under P.L.
109-234, USDA received funding for cleanup and salvage efforts at the ARS facility in
Poplarville, MS, and the Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, LA. Total budget
authority was $39 million for the 2005 hurricanes provided under P.L. 109-234 and through
reallocations from existing funds.
Farm Service Agency
The mission of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is to serve farmers, ranchers, and agricultural
partners through the delivery of agricultural support programs. Besides administering general
farm commodity programs, FSA administers disaster payments for crop and livestock farmers
who suffer losses from natural disasters. Following the 2005 hurricanes, producer benefits were
provided under five new programs created by USDA for tropical fruit, citrus, sugarcane, nursery
crops, fruits and vegetables, livestock death, feed losses, and dairy production and spoilage
losses. These USDA-created programs were the Hurricane Indemnity Program (HIP), Livestock
Indemnity Program (LIP), Feed Indemnity Program (FIP), and an Aquaculture Grant Program
(AGP). Payments under the previously established Tree Indemnity Program (TIP) were provided
to eligible owners of commercially grown fruit trees, nut trees, bushes, and vines producing
annual crops that were lost or damaged.24
Total outlays for 2005 hurricanes to the Gulf States under the aforementioned five programs were
$132 million under P.L. 109-234 (see Table 2) and $112 million for four programs under “Section
32” (see Table 3 for Section 32 data). Section 32 is a permanent appropriation (originating from
24 As previously stated, all of these programs have been amended, repealed, or are no longer valid. For a discussion of
current agricultural disaster assistance programs, see CRS In Focus IF10565, Federal Disaster Assistance for
Agriculture, by Megan Stubbs.
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
P.L. 74-320) that supports a variety of USDA activities, including disaster relief, federal child
nutrition programs, and surplus commodity purchases.25
Table 3. 2005 Hurricane Disaster Relief Payments for Crops and Livestock by State
(Dollars in Thousands)
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
North
Carolina
Texas
$3,002
$31,164
$3,049
$2,061
—
$282
$39,558
Tree Indemnity
Program (TIP)
$604
$18,144
$376
$833
—
$28
$19,985
Feed Indemnity
Program (FIP)
$902
$1,719
$1,050
$1,156
—
$27
$4,854
Livestock Indemnity
Program (LIP)
$265
$709
$19,238
$2,148
—
$701
$23,061
Aquaculture Grant
Program (AGP)
$5,038
$3,663
$4,513
$10,738
$313
$661
$24,690
Total
$9,811
$55,399
$28,226
$16,936
$313
$1,699
$112,384
Hurricane Indemnity
Program (HIP)
Total
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, November 6, 2017.
Notes: Latest payment data available from USDA for 2005 hurricanes, as of November 6, 2017; the above
programs were administered by FSA with funding allocated from USDA’s “Section 32” Program.
Following Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008, payments were provided to qualifying producers
under five nationwide agricultural disaster programs authorized in the Food, Conservation, and
Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246, 2008 farm bill). Under the largest disaster program,
Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program (SURE),26 the combined payments for
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas totaled $285 million in 2008 for a variety of
natural disaster losses, including hurricane damage (Table 4). Payments for these states under the
other four programs (three livestock-related programs and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP))
were approximately $66 million.27
Table 4. 2008 Agricultural Disaster Relief Program Payments by State
(Dollars in Thousands)
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Texas
Total
Supplemental Revenue Assistance
Payments Program (SURE)
$5,005
$12,932
$13,068
$4,993
$249,002
$285,000
Livestock Forage Program (LFP)
$9,002
$2,688
—
—
$40,182
$51,872
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
$34
$64
$1,301
$91
$6,359
$7,849
25 USDA is currently limited in its authority to distribute emergency payments to farmers under “Section 32” authority
(as well as with Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds). In annual appropriations acts between FY2012 and
FY2017, Congress has prohibited the use of appropriated funds to pay for salaries and expenses needed to operate a
farm disaster program under either of these two funding sources. However, in FY2017 (Section 715 of FY2017
Agriculture Appropriations Act, P.L. 115-31), Congress amended this prohibition to allow such payments from
available carryover funding up to $75 million.
26 SURE authority expired in 2011 and was not reauthorized.
27 The LFP, LIP, ELAP, and TAP programs were amended and reauthorized under section 1501 of the Agricultural Act
of 2014 (P.L. 113-79, 2014 farm bill).
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Emergency Assistance for Livestock,
Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish
Program (ELAP)
$81
$2,918
$776
$10
$659
$4,443
Tree Assistance Program (TAP)
—
$1,802
< $1
—
$146
$1,948
$14,122
$20,404
$15,145
$5,094
$296,348
$351,112
Total
Texas
Total
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, November 6, 2017.
Notes: Programs were authorized under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246, 2008
farm bill). Payments as of November 6, 2017, and made for a variety of natural disaster losses that included more
than just hurricane damage.
FSA also administered two land rehabilitation disaster programs: (1) the Emergency Forestry
Conservation Reserve Program (EFCRP),28 which compensated private, nonindustrial forest
landowners who experienced losses from hurricanes in calendar year 2005, for temporarily
retiring their land; and (2) the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP),29 which provides
emergency funding and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland
damaged by natural disasters.
For the 2005 hurricanes, Congress provided $82 million in budget authority for EFCRP and $84.7
million in budget authority for ECP. Of the $84.7 million in budget authority for ECP, FSA
obligated over $70 million. Previously unobligated funds from 2005 hurricane recovery efforts
were reprogrammed in 2009 under P.L. 111-32 to be used for then current disasters, including
hurricanes. On July 14, 2009, USDA announced $71 million in ECP funding, which included the
2005 reprogrammed funds, for repairing farmland damaged by natural disasters, including the
hurricanes that occurred in 2008. Of the five hurricane-affected states, Texas received the largest
allocation ($11 million) to address 2008 hurricane restoration efforts.
Food and Nutrition Service30
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers several programs that are crucial in hurricane
relief efforts.31 These include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly
known as the Food Stamp Program (FSP)), child nutrition programs (e.g., school meals
programs), and federally donated food commodities delivered through relief organizations.
Existing laws authorize USDA to change eligibility and benefit rules to facilitate emergency aid.
Disaster FSP benefits provided approximately $1 billion worth of support directly due to
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike.32 Assistance provided by FSP (now, SNAP)
28 Authorized by §107(a) of the Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address
Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006 (P.L. 109-148), as amended. This program was
repealed under section 2702(a) of the 2014 farm bill.
29 Authorized in Section 401 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-334) as amended and codified under 16
U.S.C. §§2201-2205. For more information on ECP and other land rehabilitation programs, CRS Report R42854,
Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation, by Megan Stubbs.
30 The section was authored by Randy Aussenberg, Specialist in Nutrition Assistance Policy.
31 For further information on Food and Nutrition Service’s disaster relief authorities and actions generally, see USDAFNS website, available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/disasters/disaster.htm. For additional detail on federal food
assistance provided for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, CRS Report RL33102, Federal Food Assistance in Disasters:
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, by Joe Richardson.
32 USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, 2008 Budget Explanatory Notes for Committee on Appropriations, p. 27g-13;
USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, 2010 Budget Explanatory Notes for Committee on Appropriations, p. 26g-48.
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
and the child nutrition programs required no additional appropriations because the benefits are
treated as entitlements.
Other than a small one-time increase in appropriations, in P.L. 109-148, to replenish some
commodity stocks used for hurricane-relief purposes, no significant action was taken for
hurricane relief or to pay for commodity distribution costs. This is because funding and federally
provided food commodities were generally available without a need for a large appropriation.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) assists private land owners with conserving
soil, water, and other natural resources. Following natural disasters, NRCS works with FEMA,
state and federal agencies, and local units of government to conduct postdisaster cleanup and
restoration projects. NRCS administers the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program,33
which assists landowners and operators in implementing emergency recovery measures for
slowing runoff and preventing erosion to relieve imminent hazards to life and property created by
a natural disaster that causes a sudden impairment of a watershed. In the wake of 2005 and 2008
hurricane events, NRCS staff also assessed the demand and requirements for the disposal of
animal carcasses, through authority delegated by FEMA. As of November 29, 2012, NRCS had
obligated approximately $300 million for disaster relief stemming from these hurricanes. State
EWP data for the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes are provided in Table 5 below.
Table 5. Disaster Relief Funding Through the Emergency Watershed Protection
Program
(Dollars in Thousands)
Hurricane
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Tennessee
Texas
$21,300
$7,200
$44,900
$114,200
$400
—
$188,000
Rita
—
—
$43,800
$2,400
—
$12,700
$58,900
Wilma
—
$12,840
—
—
—
—
$12,840
Gustav
$600
$600
$12,600
$600
—
—
$14,400
—
—
$12,000
—
—
$12,800
$24,800
$21,900
$20,640
$113,300
$117,200
$400
$25,500
$298,940
Katrina
Ike
Total
Total
Source: USDA, NRCS, November 29, 2012.
Forest Service34
The Forest Service (FS) administers programs for protecting and managing the natural resources
of the National Forest System (NFS, primarily national forests and national grasslands) and for
assisting states and nonindustrial private forestland owners in protecting and managing the natural
resources of nonfederal forestlands. Through its State and Private Forestry (SPF) program, the FS
provides financial and technical assistance, typically through state forestry agencies, to
33 Authorized in §216 of P.L. 81-516 and §403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-334), as amended.
Codified under 16 U.S.C. §2203 and 33 U.S.C. §701b-1. For more information on EWP and other land rehabilitation
programs, see CRS Report R42854, Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation, by Megan Stubbs.
34 This section was originally authored by Kelsi Bracmort, Specialist in Agricultural Conservation and Natural
Resources Policy, Resources, Science, and Industry Division, and was updated by Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural
Resources Policy.
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
nonfederal landowners to restore forests damaged by hurricanes (and other disasters). The state
agencies are authorized to use such funds in numerous ways, such as assisting landowners to clear
damaged trees and to plant new stands on cleared sites. While emergency and supplemental
funding is sometimes enacted for natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes), the funding often is
expended through ongoing, existing programs, and commonly cannot be distinguished from
regular appropriations for these purposes (i.e., protecting and managing NFS lands and resources
and assisting nonfederal landowners in protecting and managing their forests).
Funding for the FS to conduct work after a natural disaster can be categorized generally as
response efforts and recovery efforts. Response tasks are identified through the National
Response Framework (NRF), administered by FEMA, which grants the FS certain responsibilities
(e.g., firefighting) to coordinate during a presidentially declared emergency or major disaster.35
The FS reports it spent approximately $77 million for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma,
respectively, on response efforts in FS region 8 (state-level data were not available).36 The FS
estimates it spent a total of $2.5 million on response efforts for Hurricane Gustav ($1.4 million in
Alabama, $0.9 million in Louisiana, $0.1 million in Mississippi, and $0.1 million in Texas).37 The
FS reports it spent a total of $2.1 million on response efforts for Hurricane Ike (all funding spent
in Texas).
Although the FS does not have the authority for specific programs to grant recovery assistance to
states, the FS can use its regular program authorities to assist state and private landowners
broadly following a disaster. For example, after a hurricane, the FS may receive supplemental
funding under the state and private forestry (SPF) programs appropriation to conduct recovery
work via a SPF program. Eight existing FS programs were used to assist the states following
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike (see Table 6).38 The FS may also grant funding
for the FSA Emergency Forest Restoration Program.39 FS recovery funding amounts by state for
the 2005 hurricanes (Katrina, Rita, and Wilma) and 2008 hurricanes (Gustav and Ike) are
provided in Table 7.
Table 6. Forest Service Programs Used to Grant Assistance after Hurricanes in 2005
and 2008
Program
Purpose
Authority
Cooperative Forest Health
Protection
Provides federal financial and technical assistance to
states to facilitate their survey and monitoring of
forest health conditions and for the protection of
forests and trees on state and private lands from
insects, disease causing agents, and invasive plants.
16 U.S.C. §2104
Economic Action Program
Assists communities and their leaders in improving the
efficiency and marketing of natural resource-based
industries and in diversifying rural community
economic bases.
7 U.S.C. §§6611-6617
35 Additional information provided in the FEMA section of this report. Region 8 encompasses 13 states including the
six states identified for this request.
36 Email from the Forest Service, December 10, 2012.
37 Email from the Forest Service, December 10, 2012.
38 The FS reports that no funds were provided to Tennessee for any of the hurricanes.
39 Additional information provided in the FSA section of this chapter.
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Program
Purpose
Authority
Emergency Forestry
Conservation Reserve Program
(temporary)
Provides assistance to nonindustrial private forest
landowners who experienced a loss of 35% or more
in merchantable timber from the 2005 hurricanes
(Hurricane Katrina et al.).
P.L. 109-148 Section
107
Forest Stewardship
Improves timber production and environmental
protection on nonfederal forest lands.
16 U.S.C. §2103a
Hazard Fuel Mitigation
Assists communities in reducing threats from
wildfires.
16 U.S.C. §2106
State Fire Assistance
Provides technical and financial assistance to state
cooperators.
16 U.S.C. §2106
Urban and Community
Forestry
Expands knowledge and awareness of the value of
urban trees and encourages the maintenance and
expansion of urban tree cover.
16 U.S.C. §2105
Volunteer Fire Assistance
Provides federal financial, technical, and other
assistance to state foresters and other appropriate
officials to organize, train, and equip fire departments
in rural areas and rural communities to prevent and
suppress fires.
16 U.S.C. §2106
Source: Compiled by CRS.
Table 7. Forest Service 2005 and 2008 Hurricane Recovery Funding
(Dollars in Thousands)
Hurricane
Year
State
Program
FS Obligations
2005
Alabama
Forest Stewardship
$474
2005
Alabama
Cooperative Forest Health Protection
$90
2005
Alabama
Economic Action/Rural Development
$45
2005
Alabama
State Fire Assistance
$369
2005
Alabama
Urban and Community Forestry
$255
2005
Alabama
Volunteer Fire Assistance
$50
Totals
2005
Florida
Urban and Community Forestry
2005
Louisiana
Urban and Community Forestry/ State Fire
Assistance/ Forest Stewardship/ Cooperative
Forest Health Protectiona
2005
Louisiana
Volunteer Fire Assistance
Totals
2005
Mississippi
Congressional Research Service
Economic Action/Rural Development
$1,282
$615
$7,971
$517
$8,489
$160
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Hurricane
Year
State
Program
2005
Mississippi
Urban and Community Forestry/ State Fire
Assistance/ Forest Stewardship/ Cooperative
Forest Health Protectiona
2005
Mississippi
Volunteer Fire Assistance
Totals
FS Obligations
$11,519
$553
$12,232
2005
Texas
Economic Action/Rural Development
2005
Texas
Urban and Community Forestry/ State Fire
Assistance/ Forest Stewardship/ Cooperative
Forest Health Protectiona
$4,679
Totals
$4,763
$4,089
2008
Texas
State Fire Assistance
2008
Texas
Urban and Community Forestry (Carryover)
Totals
$83
$50
$4,139
Source: Data provided by the U.S. Forest Service, November 30, 2012, and confirmed on October 24, 2017.
Note: Numbers have been rounded.
a. Forest Service did not provide information on how these funds were allocated between the specified
programs.
Rural Housing Service
The Rural Housing Service (RHS) provides loan and grant assistance for single-family and
multifamily housing. RHS also administers the Community Facilities loan and grant program to
provide assistance to communities for health facilities, fire and police stations, and other essential
community facilities. Following the hurricanes, RHS provided housing relief to residents of the
affected areas through payment moratoriums of six months, a three-month moratorium on
initiating foreclosures under the single family guaranteed homeownership loans, loan forgiveness,
loan reamortization, and refinancing. In addition, RHS provided temporary rental assistance to
displaced family farm labor housing tenants. Assistance was provided for single-family
homeowners (e.g., Section 502 loans), multifamily housing owners (e.g., Section 504 loans), and
rental housing assistance (Section 521). Under P.L. 109-234, total budget authority for RHS
programs for the 2005 hurricanes was $128 million.
The Disaster Relief and Recovery Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-329)
provided funding for activities under the Rural Development Mission Area for relief and recovery
from natural disasters (including hurricanes) during 2008. The act specifically provided $38
million for activities of the Rural Housing Service for areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita.
Rural Utilities Service
The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is responsible for administering electric, telecommunications,
and water assistance programs that help finance the infrastructure necessary to improve the
quality of life and promote economic development in rural areas. Hurricane relief included grants
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
for rebuilding, repairing, or otherwise improving water and waste disposal systems in designated
disaster areas. Increased technical assistance under the Circuit Rider program was also provided
to rural water districts. With the approval of lenders, RUS also suspended preauthorized debit
payments for water and waste disposal loan guarantees for six months. Under permanent
authority of P.L. 92-419, total budget authority for RUS programs for the 2005 hurricanes was
$53 million.
Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration40
The federal government may provide disaster relief to the fishing industry when there is a
commercial fishery failure. A commercial fishery failure occurs when fishermen endure hardships
resulting from fish population declines or other disruptions to the fishery. Two statutes, the
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act (16 U.S.C. §4107) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. §1864a and §1864), provide the authority and
requirements for fishery disaster assistance. Under both statutes, a request for a fishery disaster
determination is generally made by the governor of a state, or by a fishing community, although
the Secretary of Commerce may also initiate a review at his or her own discretion. If the
Secretary determines that a fishery disaster has occurred, Congress may appropriate funds for
disaster assistance, which are administered by the Secretary. Funding is usually distributed as
grants to states or regional marine fisheries commissions by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the Department of Commerce.
Since 2005, Congress has appropriated almost $260 million of hurricane disaster relief to the Gulf
of Mexico fishing industry (see Table 8). Of this total, $213 million was appropriated for
damages and disruptions caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (P.L. 109-234 and P.L. 110-28).
Assistance provided for the direct needs of fishermen and related businesses, and supported
related fisheries programs such as oyster bed and fishery habitat restoration, cooperative research,
product marketing, fishing gear studies, and seafood testing. Many of these activities such as
habitat restoration are ongoing management priorities for these fisheries. For damage caused by
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, $47 million was appropriated to restore damaged oyster reefs, remove
storm debris, and rebuild fishing infrastructure in Texas and Louisiana (P.L. 110-329). In addition,
$85 million was provided to NOAA for scanning, mapping, and removing marine debris;
repairing and reconstructing the NOAA Science Center; procuring a replacement emergency
response aircraft and sensor package; and other activities (P.L. 109-234 and P.L. 110-28).
Table 8. Disaster Relief Funding for Commercial Fisheries
(Obligations as of October 2017; Dollars in Thousands)
Commercial Fishery
Disaster Assistance
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
$44,633
$6,233
$134,190
$62,042
Total
Texas
$11,375
Total
$258,473
Source: NOAA Budget Office, personal communication, November 1, 2017. Gulf States Marine Fisheries
Commission, Emergency Disaster Recovery Program, available at http://www.gsmfc.org/fdrp.php.
40 This section was authored by Harold F. Upton, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy, Resources, Science, and
Industry Division.
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Notes: According to NOAA, all funds have been expended except for approximately $79,000. The total does
not add to $260 million because $1,527 thousand was allocated for program administration. The table does not
include funding for NOAA programs.
Economic Development Administration Economic Adjustment Assistance
Program41
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) was created with the passage of the Public
Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (PWEDA), P.L. 89-136, (42 U.S.C. §3121, et. al)
to provide assistance to communities experiencing long-term economic distress or sudden
economic dislocation. Among the programs administered by EDA is the Economic Adjustment
Assistance (EAA) program. The PWEDA (42 U.S.C. §3149(c)(2)) authorizes EDA to provide
EAA funds for
disasters or emergencies, in areas with respect to which a major disaster or emergency has
been declared under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
for post-disaster economic recovery. 42
In addition to funding disaster-recovery efforts using Emergency Assistance Act (EAA) funds
available under its regular appropriation, 42 U.S.C. §3233 authorizes the appropriation of such
sums as are necessary to fund EAA disaster recovery activities authorized under 42 U.S.C.
§3149(c)(2). Funds appropriated under 42 U.S.C. §3233 may be used to cover up to 100% of the
cost of a project or activity authorized under 42 U.S.C. §3149(c)(2). Funds appropriated under a
regular appropriations act may be used to cover only 50% of the cost of disaster recovery
activities. However, the authorizing statute also grants EDA the authority to increase the federal
share of a project’s cost to 100%.
Disaster Assistance Grants
Presidentially declared disasters or emergencies are one of five specific qualifying events eligible
for EAA funding assistance.43 EAA grants are competitively awarded and may be used to help
finance public facilities; public services (including job training and counseling) business
development (including funding a revolving loan fund (RLF); planning; and technical assistance
that support the creation or retention of private sector jobs. Regions submitting an application for
EAA disaster assistance must demonstrate a clear connection between the proposed project and
disaster recovery efforts. EAA disaster grants can cover 100% of a project’s cost.
In order to qualify for assistance, the Secretary of Commerce must find that a proposed project or
activity will help the area respond to a severe increase in unemployment, or economic adjustment
problems resulting from severe changes in economic conditions. EAA regulations also require an
area seeking such assistance to prepare or have in place a Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategy (CEDS) outlining the nature and level of economic distress in the region,
and proposed activities that could be undertaken to support private-sector job creation or retention
efforts in the area.
41 This section was authored by Eugene Boyd, Analyst in Federalism and Economic Development Policy, Government
and Finance Division.
42 Also cited as §209(c)(2) of P.L. 89-136.
43 Other qualifying events eligible for EAA assistance, as outlined in 42 U.S.C. §3149, include communities whose
economies have been injured by military-related reductions including base closures or realignments, defense contractor
reductions in force, or Department of Energy defense related funding reduction; international trade; fishery failures; or
the loss of manufacturing jobs.
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Funding Narrative
Congress did not provide EAA supplemental appropriations for disaster recovery activities related
to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, or Wilma. However, EDA allocated $24.2 million from its regular
appropriations in response to the hurricanes of 2005. In response to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike
and other disasters occurring in 2008, Congress appropriated $400 million in EAA disaster
supplemental funding when it approved P.L. 110-329. It also appropriated an additional $100
million in supplemental EAA disaster assistance without limiting it to disasters occurring in a
specific year when it passed the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008, P.L. 110-252.
Of the $500 million appropriated for EAA disaster grants in 2008, EDA allocated, based on its
2010 annual report to Congress, the latest data available, a total of $63.8 million to 33 recipients
in five of the six states identified in this report.
Department of Defense (Civil)44
Army Corps of Engineers
Civil Works Program
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is a unique federal agency in the Department of
Defense, with military and civilian responsibilities. Under its civil works program, the Corps
plans, builds, operates, and maintains a wide range of water resources facilities, including
hurricane protection and flood damage reduction projects, and performs emergency actions for
flood and coastal emergencies.
Table 9 shows, for each Gulf Coast state, the direct appropriations that the Corps received for its
water resources work related to the five hurricanes. According to data the Corps provided to CRS,
of the total $15.6 billion appropriated, more than $11.2 billion has been obligated.
Table 9. Disaster Relief Funding Appropriations for the Army Corps of Engineers
(Dollars in Thousands)
Army Corps of Engineers
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Texas
Total
Civil Works Appropriations
$3,000
$57,000
$14,768,000
$558,000
$207,000
$15,593,000
Source: CRS correspondence with Army Corps of Engineers Budget Office, 2012.
Department of Defense (Military) 45
Military Personnel
The Military Personnel accounts fund military pay and allowances, permanent change of station
travel, retirement and health benefit accruals, uniforms, and other personnel costs. For the
44 This section was authored by Charles Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy, Resources, Science, and Industry
Division and updated by Nicole Carter, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy, Resources, Science, and Industry
Division.
45 This section was authored by Lawrence Kapp, Specialist in Military Manpower Policy, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and
Trade Division, with assistance from former CRS specialists Amy Belasco and Dan Else. Program summary
information was taken from Department of Defense budget documents and H.Rept. 109-359, Conference Report to
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
hurricane response efforts, funds have been used primarily to pay per diem to DOD personnel
evacuated from affected areas, for the pay and allowances of activated Guard and Reserve
personnel supporting the hurricane relief effort, and for increased housing allowances to
compensate for housing rate increases in hurricane-affected areas. Military personnel funds
obligated by the Alabama, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi National Guard are detailed
in Table 10. Data on the obligation of other Military Personnel funds, by state, were not readily
available.
Operations and Maintenance
The Operations and Maintenance (O&M) accounts fund training and operation costs, pay for
civilians, maintenance service contracts, fuel, supplies, repair parts, and other expenses. For the
hurricane response efforts, funds have been used primarily to repair facilities, establish alternate
operating sites for displaced military organizations, repair and replace equipment, remove debris,
clean up hazardous waste, repair utilities, evacuate DOD personnel from affected areas, and
support the operations of activated Army and Air National Guard units. O&M funds obligated by
the Alabama, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi National Guard are detailed in Table 10.
Data on the obligation of other O&M funds, by state, were not readily available.
Procurement
The Procurement accounts generally fund the acquisition of aircraft, ships, combat
vehicles, satellites, weapons, ammunition, and other capital equipment. For the hurricane
response efforts, $2.85 billion was appropriated, of which $2.5 billion was used primarily to pay
for extraordinary shipbuilding and ship repair costs, including not only damage to ships under
construction and replacement of equipment and materials, but also additional overhead and labor
costs resulting from schedule delays due to the hurricane damage to shipyards, primarily
Avondale in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Ingalls in Pascagoula, Mississippi.46 These funds also
included $140 million to improve the infrastructure at damaged shipyards.47 Budget authority,
obligations, and outlays for procurement, allocated by state for Alabama, Florida, Texas,
Louisiana, and Mississippi are detailed in Table 10.
Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation
The Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) accounts fund modernization efforts
by way of basic and applied research, creation of technology-demonstration devices, developing
prototypes, and other related costs. For the hurricane response efforts, funds have been used to
replace damaged test equipment and repair damaged test facilities. Data allocating RDT&E funds
by state were not readily available.
Military Construction (MILCON) and Family Housing
The MILCON accounts fund the acquisition, construction, installation, and equipment of
temporary or permanent public works, military installations, facilities, and real property. The
Accompany H.R. 2863, Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the
Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006.
46 H.Rept. 109-359, Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2863, Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006, p. 496.
47 §2203, P.L. 109-234, provided that $140 million was available for infrastructure improvements to Gulf Coast
shipyards damaged in 2005.
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Family Housing Construction accounts fund costs associated with the construction of military
family housing (including acquisition, replacement, addition, expansion, extension, and
alteration), while the Family Housing O&M accounts fund expenses such as debt payment,
leasing, minor construction, principal and interest charges, and insurance premiums on military
family housing. For the hurricane response efforts, $1.4 billion was appropriated to finance the
planning, design, and construction of military facilities and infrastructure that were damaged or
destroyed by hurricane winds and water. Of this, $918 million was dedicated to military
operations and training facilities, while an additional $460 million was appropriated for family
housing construction and family housing O&M to rebuild destroyed, damaged, or new housing
units and a housing office. Budget authority for MILCON and family housing construction
allocated to the states of Alabama, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi is detailed in Table
10. Of the $1.4 billion appropriated, $1.2 billion could be allocated to the five specified states,
while $167 million was devoted to planning and design activities not associated with specific
locations.
Management Funds
This category includes the Defense Working Capital Fund, the National Defense Sealift Fund, and
a commissary fund. For the hurricane response efforts, these funds have been used primarily to
rebuild and repair damaged commissaries, replace commissary inventories, and cover
transportation and contingency costs of the Defense Logistics Agency. Data allocating these funds
by state were not readily available.
Other Department of Defense Programs
This category includes the Defense Health Program (DHP) and the Office of the Inspector
General (OIG). The DHP title funds medical and dental care to current and retired members of the
Armed Forces, their family members, and other eligible beneficiaries. For the hurricane response
efforts, these funds have been used primarily to pay for costs associated with displaced
beneficiaries seeking care from private-sector providers rather than at military health care
facilities, to pay the health care costs of activated Guard and Reserve personnel, and to replace
medical supplies and equipment. Data allocating DHP funds by state were not readily available.
Of the $589,000 appropriated for the OIG, $263,000 was provided to replace and repair damaged
equipment in the Inspector General’s office in Slidell, LA, and to cover relocation costs.
Table 10. Disaster Relief Funding by the Department of Defense (Military)
(Dollars in Thousands)
Name of Program
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Military Personnel
(National Guard only)a
$7,192
$4,091
$126,982
Operations and
Maintenance (National
Guard only)b
$1,407
$1,759
Procurement: Budget
Authorityc
$60,048
Obligations
Outlays
Congressional Research Service
Mississippi
Texas
Total
$27,123
$15,974
$181,361
$89,538
$112,721
$12,440
$217,866
—
$770,647
$1,698,581
—
$2,529,277
$60,007
—
$770,546
$1,698,193
—
$2,528,746
$54,996
—
$697,584
$1,567,619
—
$2,320,199
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Name of Program
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Military Construction
and Family Housingd
—
—
$371
Mississippi
$840
Texas
Total
—
$1,378
Sources: The National Guard Personnel and O&M figures are CRS calculations based on data provided by the
National Guard Bureau. Procurement figures were provided by the Navy. Military Construction and Family
Housing figures are CRS calculations based on data contained in the conference committee reports that
accompanied the relevant appropriations acts.
Notes:
a. National Guard figures are expressed in terms of obligations.
b. The obligated funds for National Guard personnel and O&M were for hurricane response purposes in the
specified states from 2005-2012, but they may not correspond in all cases to the emergency funds
appropriated by Congress for hurricane relief purposes specified in Table 1 of this report. An
indeterminate amount of the funding came from regular appropriated funds.
c. Procurement figures are expressed in terms of budget authority, obligations, and outlays; budget authority is
nearly identical to obligations.
d. Military construction figures are expressed in terms of budget authority; $167 million is not geographically
specific.
e. Table 11 does not include funding for Management Funds, DHP, or the OIG.
Department of Education48
Elementary and Secondary Education
Program Authorities49
Following the Gulf Coast hurricanes, funding to support elementary and secondary schools
affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita was provided through three public laws: P.L.
109-148 ($1.4 billion), P.L. 109-234 ($235 million), and P.L. 110-28 ($30 million).
P.L. 109-148 created two new programs: (1) Immediate Aid to Restart School
Operations ($750 million) and (2) Temporary Impact Aid for Displaced Students
($645 million), which were specifically designed to address needs resulting from
the hurricanes.50 It also added $5 million to the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act to serve homeless children and youth who had been displaced by
the Gulf Coast hurricanes.
P.L. 109-234 provided additional funding of $235 million for the Temporary
Impact Aid for Displaced Students enacted under P.L. 109-148.
48 This section was authored by Rebecca Skinner, Specialist in Education Policy, Domestic Social Policy Division.
49 While not provided through education-related disaster relief legislation, Louisiana also received $20.9 million
through the Charter School Program authorized under Title V-B-1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
specifically to help reopen charter schools damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, help create 10 new charter
schools, and expand existing charter schools to accommodate displaced students. (For more information, see U.S.
Department of Education, “Louisiana Awarded $20.9 Million No Child Left Behind Grant to Assist Damaged Charter
Schools, Create New Charter Schools,” press release, September 30, 2005, available at http://www2.ed.gov/news/
pressreleases/2005/09/09302005.html).
50 In addition to funding, P.L. 109-148 also provided general waiver authority for the Secretary of Education related to
maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements; the use of federal funds to supplement, not supplant nonfederal funds; and
matching contributions for programs administered by the Secretary. It also modified hold harmless provisions for the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I-A Grants to Local Educational Agencies program and
modified highly qualified teacher provisions contained in ESEA Title I-A.
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P.L. 110-28 appropriated $30 million for elementary and secondary schools
affected by the hurricanes through the Hurricane Educator Assistance program to
assist in recruiting, retaining, and compensating staff in those schools.
Congress then appropriated an additional $15 million through P.L. 110-329 to provide support to
local educational agencies (LEAs) whose enrollment of homeless students increased as a result of
hurricanes, including Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, floods, or other natural disasters during 2008.
Congress subsequently appropriated $12 million through P.L. 111-117 for the Gulf Coast
Recovery Initiative to improve education in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, or Gustav.
A brief description of each of these programs and the amount of funding each received is
presented below. Table 11 details how much funding various states received under each of the
programs.
Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations
The Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations provided support for LEAs and nonpublic
schools in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas to restart school operations, reopen
schools, and re-enroll students. P.L. 109-148 provided $750 million for this program. This
program is no longer authorized.
Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students
The Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students program provided federal funding
to assist schools in enrolling students who had been displaced by the Gulf Coast hurricanes.
Funds were made available to LEAs and schools based on the number of displaced students that
enrolled, irrespective of whether the school in which parents chose to enroll their child was a
public or nonpublic school. P.L. 109-148 appropriated $645 million for this program.
Subsequently, P.L. 109-234 appropriated an additional $235 million for this program, bringing the
total program appropriation to $880 million.51 Portions of the funds appropriated were provided
to 49 states52 and the District of Columbia based on the number of displaced students each
enrolled. Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi received the largest proportion of funds. This program
is no longer authorized.
Hurricane Educator Assistance Program
The Hurricane Educator Assistance Program made federal funding available to Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Alabama to use for recruiting, retaining, and compensating school staff who
committed to work for at least three years in public elementary and secondary schools affected by
Hurricanes Katrina or Rita. States were required to apply to receive funds, and the funds were
allocated based on the number of public elementary and secondary schools that were closed for
19 days or more from August 29, 2005, through December 31, 2005. P.L. 110-28 provided $30
million for these purposes to Louisiana and Mississippi only. This program is no longer
authorized.
51 Of the total appropriation for Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students, only $878 million was
distributed, as the remaining funds were not needed by states under this program.
52 Hawaii did not receive any funds through this program.
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McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act provides funding to states to ensure that homeless
children and youth are provided equal access to a free, appropriate public education in the same
manner as provided other children and youth.53 P.L. 109-148 appropriated $5 million for this
program for LEAs serving homeless children and youth who had been displaced by Hurricane
Katrina or Hurricane Rita. Eight states received funding under this program, with the largest
grants provided to Texas and Louisiana.54 While the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
continues to provide funding related to the education of homeless students, the provisions enacted
specifically in response to the Gulf Coast hurricanes are no longer authorized.
Homeless Education Disaster Assistance55
P.L. 110-329 provided $15 million to LEAs whose enrollment of homeless students increased as a
result of hurricanes, floods, or other natural disasters that occurred during 2008 and for which the
President declared a major disaster under Title IV of the Stafford Act. ED was required to
distribute the funds through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act based on
demonstrated need. These funds provided assistance to LEAs in Gulf Coast states affected by
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, as well as LEAs affected by natural disasters in other parts of the
nation, such as flooding in the Midwest. The majority of the funds were provided to LEAs in
Louisiana and Texas.56 This program is no longer authorized.
Gulf Coast Recovery Initiative
P.L. 111-117 provided $12 million for competitive awards to LEAs located in counties in
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas that were designated by FEMA as counties eligible for
individual assistance as a result of damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, or Gustav. The
funds had to be used to improve education in areas affected by these hurricanes and had to be
used for activities such as replacing instructional materials and equipment; paying teacher
incentives; modernizing, renovating, or repairing school buildings; supporting charter school
expansion; and supporting extended learning time activities. The majority of the funds were
provided to LEAs in Louisiana. This program is no longer authorized.
Higher Education
Program Authorities
Appropriations to support institutions of higher education (IHEs) following the Gulf Coast
hurricanes of 2005 were provided through P.L. 109-148 ($200 million), P.L. 109-234 ($50
53 42 U.S.C. §11433.
54 The eight states that received funds included Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Tennessee, and Texas.
55 None of these funds were provided in response to the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005.
56 While data were not available on the specific disasters experienced by the LEAs that received funding, data were
available on the specific types of disasters for which institutions of higher education (IHEs) received funds under the
Higher Education Disaster Relief program (P.L. 110-329), which also provided aid in response to natural disasters that
occurred in 2008. According to these data, all IHEs in Louisiana that received funds were affected by Hurricane Gustav
or Ike. Most IHEs in Texas that received funds were affected by Hurricane Ike. A few IHEs in Texas were affected by
Hurricane Dolly, accounting for a relatively small portion of the funds allocated to IHEs in Texas. IHEs in Florida that
received funding were affected by Tropical Storm Fay. LEAs in Iowa and Illinois received the remaining funds
available to LEAs.
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million), and P.L. 110-28 ($30 million). P.L. 110-329 subsequently provided an additional $15
million for IHEs in areas affected by hurricanes, including Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, floods, or
other natural disasters in 2008. Table 11 details the amount of funding allocated to various states
under these provisions.
Hurricane Education Recovery
Of the $200 million provided under P.L. 109-148 for higher education, $95 million was
specifically appropriated for the Louisiana Board of Regents, and $95 million was specifically
appropriated for the Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning for hurricane education recovery
from the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes. Subsequently, P.L. 109-234 and P.L. 110-28 provided
additional funds for hurricane education recovery under the Fund for the Improvement of
Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), authorized by Title VII of the Higher Education Act, to assist
IHEs adversely affected by the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes. Under both laws, funds were
provided to help defray the expenses incurred by IHEs that were forced to close, relocate, or
reduce their activities due to hurricane damage. Under P.L. 110-28, IHEs also were permitted to
use these funds to make grants to students enrolled at these institutions on or after July 1, 2006. A
total of $80 million was provided for IHEs affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita under
the FIPSE for hurricane education recovery. The majority of funds appropriated for hurricane
education recovery were provided to Mississippi and Louisiana. These activities are no longer
authorized.
Funds to Assist IHEs Enrolling Displaced Students
The remaining $10 million appropriated under P.L. 109-148 for higher education disaster relief
was provided to assist IHEs with unanticipated costs associated with the enrollment of students
displaced as a result of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. Overall, 99 IHEs in 24 states and the
District of Columbia received funds related to the enrollment of displaced higher education
students.57 Louisiana and Texas received the largest state grants. This program is no longer
authorized.
Higher Education Disaster Relief58
P.L. 110-329 provided an additional $15 million for IHEs that were located in an area affected by
hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters that occurred during 2008 and for which the
President declared a major disaster under Title IV of the Stafford Act.59 Funds provided through
the Higher Education Disaster Relief program could be used to defray the expenses incurred by
IHEs that were forced to close or relocate or whose operations were adversely affected by the
natural disaster, and to provide grants to students who attended such IHEs for academic years
beginning on or after July 1, 2008. The majority of these funds were provided to Louisiana and
Texas for hurricane-related education disaster assistance related to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.60
This program is no longer authorized.
57 The 24 states in which IHEs received funds included Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
58 None of these funds were provided in response to the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005.
59 Total obligations under this program were $15,028,360.
60 IHEs in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky also received funds under this program.
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Funding Summary
Following the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005, Congress appropriated $1.943 billion for ED to
provide support to LEAs, schools, and IHEs in the Gulf Coast region and nationwide that were
affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.61 Subsequently, FY2009 supplemental
appropriations provided an additional $30 million for education-related disaster relief for LEAs
and IHEs affected by natural disasters during the 2008 calendar year. Most recently, FY2010
appropriations provided an additional $12 million for LEAs located in specific areas affected by
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, or Gustav. Of the $1.985 billion provided for education-related disaster
relief and administered by ED since the Gulf Coast hurricanes, nearly all of these funds ($1.826
billion, 92%) were provided to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas in
response to the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes. Table 11 details how much of this funding was
allocated to each of these states for each of the programs discussed in this section.
Table 11. Disaster Relief Funding Administered by the Department of Education
Provided in Response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike
(Dollars in Thousands (cumulative obligations))
Department of Education
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Tennessee
Texas
Total
Immediate Aid to Restart
School Operations
$3,750
—
$445,604
$222,493
—
$78,153
$750,000
Emergency Impact Aid for
Displaced Studentsa
$36,605
$27,214
$291,717
$100,787
$19,001
$250,890
$726,213
McKinney-Vento Homeless
Education Assistance Program
$247
$196
$1,564
$687
$122
$1,687
$4,504
Hurricane Educator Assistance
Program
—
—
$22,593
$7,407
—
—
$30,000
Homeless Education Disaster
Assistanceb
—
—
$1,171
—
—
$12,256
$13,427
Gulf Coast Recovery Initiative
—
—
$8,624
$2,638
—
$739
$12,000
$40,602
$27,410
$771,273
$334,012
$19,123
$343,724
$1,536,144
Hurricane Education Recovery
$301
$1,507
$145,663
$117,878
—
$4,651
$270,000
Funds to Assist Institutions of
Higher Education Enrolling
Displaced Students
$357
$34
$5,748
$327
$95
$1,750
$8,312
Higher Education Disaster
Relief Programc
—
—
$3,524
—
—
$8,067
$11,591
$658
$1,541
$154,935
$118,206
$95
$14,468
$289,903
$41,261
$28,952
$926,208
$452,217
$19,218
$358,192
$1,826,046
Elementary and secondary education
Subtotal for elementary and
secondary education
Higher education
Subtotal postsecondary
education
Total
61 For a more detailed discussion of federal education-related hurricane relief, see CRS Report R42881, Education-
Related Regulatory Flexibilities, Waivers, and Federal Assistance in Response to Disasters and National Emergencies,
by Boris Granovskiy and Alexandra Hegji.
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Source: Table prepared by CRS, December 11, 2012, based on published and unpublished data available from
the U.S. Department of Education (ED).
Notes: Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
a. Under the Emergency Impact Aid program, $1.9 million of the $880 million appropriated was not allocated
to states, as the funds were not needed. Thus, the total appropriated amount is higher than the amount
allocated and shown on the table.
b. None of these funds were provided in response to the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005. While data were not
available from ED on the specific disasters experienced by the LEAs that received funding, data were
available on the specific types of disasters for which IHEs received funds under P.L. 110-329. According to
these data, all IHEs in Louisiana that received funds were affected by Hurricane Gustav or Ike. Most IHEs in
Texas that received funds were affected by Hurricane Ike. A few IHEs in Texas were affected by Hurricane
Dolly, accounting for a relatively small portion of the funds allocated to IHEs in Texas. IHEs in Florida that
received funding were affected by Tropical Storm Fay. Thus, all funds provided to LEAs in Louisiana and
Texas were included in the table, while funds provided to LEAs in Florida were not included.
c. Funds obligated to this account were in response to the 2008 hurricanes.
Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families62
Head Start
The federal Head Start program, authorized at 42 U.S.C. §9801 et seq., provides comprehensive
early childhood development services to low-income children.63 The program seeks to promote
school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the
provision of educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services. Federal Head Start funds
are provided directly to local grantees (e.g., public and private nonprofit and for-profit agencies)
rather than through states. Most children served in Head Start programs are three- and four-yearolds, but services are authorized for children from birth through compulsory school age.
In December 2005, Congress appropriated $90 million in supplemental Head Start funds for the
costs of serving displaced children and the renovation of Head Start facilities affected by the Gulf
Coast hurricanes of 2005.64 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) reported awarding approximately $74 million of
the total appropriation based on grantee requests; the remaining funds ($16 million) reverted to
the U.S. Treasury Department.65 The majority of the funds awarded to grantees ($72.5 million, or
98% of the $74 million) went to Head Start programs in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Texas (see Table 12).
Social Services Block Grant
The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), permanently authorized by 42 U.S.C. §1397 et seq., is
a flexible source of funds that states use to support a wide variety of social services activities,
62 This section was authored by Karen Lynch, Specialist in Social Policy, Domestic Social Policy Division.
63 For additional information, see CRS Report RL30952, Head Start: Background and Funding, by Karen E. Lynch.
64 See Division B of P.L. 109-148. The appropriations language specified that costs of renovations may be covered “to
the extent reimbursements from FEMA and insurance companies do not fully cover such costs.”
65 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, “FY2008 Justification of
Estimates for Appropriations Committees,” February 2007, p. 91.
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ranging from child care to special services for the disabled.66 States have broad discretion over
the use of SSBG funds, which are typically allocated to states according to a population-based
formula.
In December 2005, Congress appropriated $550 million in supplemental SSBG funds for
necessary expenses related to the consequences of the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005.67 ACF
distributed these funds based on the number of FEMA registrants from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita,
and Wilma, as well as the percentage of individuals in poverty in each state. Funds were allocated
to all states that took in evacuees, not just the states that were directly affected. The
appropriations language expanded potential services for which these funds could be used to
include “health services (including mental health services) and for repair, renovation, and
construction of health facilities (including mental health facilities).”
In September 2008, Congress appropriated $600 million for necessary expenses resulting from
major disasters occurring in 2008, including hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters, as
well as expenses resulting from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.68 ACF reserved a portion of these
funds for states affected by major disasters of 2008 and a portion for states facing ongoing needs
as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.69 ACF distributed both sets of funds based on each
state’s share of FEMA registrants, as well as the overall population for each state. Like the
previous supplemental, the 2008 supplemental appropriation again expanded potential services
for which SSBG funds could be used, this time to include “health services (including mental
health services) and for repair, renovation, and construction of health facilities (including mental
health facilities), child care centers, and other social services facilities.”
Combined, these two supplemental appropriations provided $1.150 billion for the SSBG.
According to ACF, the bulk of these funds—$944 million, or 82% of the $1.150 billion—were
allocated to Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas (see Table 12).70
Typically, SSBG funds are subject to a two-year expenditure period—meaning that funds must be
spent by the end of the fiscal year subsequent to the fiscal year in which they were allotted to
states.71 However, most states had not spent all of their funds from either supplemental within the
standard two-year period and, in both cases, Congress passed legislation extending the spending
deadline for these supplemental funds.72 According to data from ACF, states had spent about $521
million (95%) of the 2005 $550 million supplemental before the extended deadline of September
66 For additional information, see CRS Report 94-953, Social Services Block Grant: Background and Funding, by
Karen E. Lynch.
67 See Division B of P.L. 109-148.
68 See Division B of P.L. 110-329.
69 For the purpose of allocating these funds, ACF counted major disasters occurring between January and September of
2008 for which FEMA Individual Assistance was authorized, plus Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
70 Of the $944 million, $519 million came from funds appropriated in P.L. 109-148, while $425 million came from
funds appropriated in P.L. 110-329. Notably, allocations from the latter appropriation were developed based on needs
resulting from a broader array of storms. In addition to accounting for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike, the
formula for allocating these funds also took into account other major disasters of CY2008 that qualified for the FEMA
Individual Assistance program, such as Tropical Storm Fay in Florida, Hurricane Dolly in Texas, and various other
severe storms, tornados, and floods. For state-by-state allocation and expenditure data for these supplemental
appropriations, see CRS Report 94-953, Social Services Block Grant: Background and Funding, by Karen E. Lynch.
71 See §2002(c) of Title XX-A of the Social Security Act.
72 The expenditure deadline for the $550 million in supplemental SSBG funds appropriated in P.L. 109-148 was
initially September 30, 2007. This deadline was extended, by P.L. 110-28, through September 30, 2009. The
expenditure deadline for the $600 million in supplemental SSBG funds appropriated in P.L. 110-329 was initially
September 30, 2010. This deadline was extended, by P.L. 111-285, through September 30, 2011.
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30, 2009. ACF data indicate that states had spent about $522 million (87%) of the 2008 $600
million supplemental before the extended expenditure deadline of September 30, 2011. Unspent
funds were to revert to the U.S. Treasury.
According to the FY2009 SSBG annual report, states spent supplemental funds on 28 of the 29
SSBG service categories defined in federal regulation,73 including education and training,
counseling services, and health-related services.74 The FY2009 report indicated that most
supplemental funds were spent in the “other services” category, including expenditures for certain
construction and renovation costs, as well as costs related to certain health and mental health
services. Notably, the FY2009 annual report only includes expenditures from the December 2005
supplemental appropriation.
Table 12. Disaster Relief Funding for Programs at the HHS Administration for
Children and Families
(Cumulative Allocations as of July 2010; Dollars in Thousands)
HHS Administration for
Children and Families
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Texas
Total
Head Start
$1,390
$114
$44,995
$22,212
$3,796
$72,507
Social Services Block Grant
(SSBG)
$40,945
$89,194
$350,639
$156,535
$306,805
$944,117
Total
$42,335
$89,308
$395,634
$178,747
$310,601
$1,016,624
Source: CRS interpretation based on data from the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Head
Start data are from ACF’s FY2008 Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees. SSBG data are for
combined supplemental allocations, based on data available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/resource/
supplemental (for the 2005 supplemental) and http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/resource/grant-awards (for
the 2008 supplemental).
Notes: Totals shown for the SSBG reflect a combination of supplemental funds appropriated by P.L. 109-148 in
December 2005 and P.L. 110-329 in September 2008. Notably, the 2008 SSBG supplemental was appropriated
for expenses resulting from major disasters occurring during 2008, as well as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Thus,
the allocations shown in this table include some funds that were allocated for disasters other than Hurricanes
Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike (e.g., Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Dolly).
Public Health and Medical Assistance75
DRF-Funded Mission Assignments
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the coordinating agency for Emergency
Support Function 8 (ESF #8), Public Health and Medical Services, under the National Response
Framework.76 The Stafford Act authorizes reimbursements to HHS for many of its emergency or
major disaster response activities, including (among others): deployment of operational assets
(medical surge and mortuary teams, portable field hospitals, and the Strategic National Stockpile
73 45 C.F.R. §96.74(b).
74 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, “Social Services Block
Grant Program Annual Report 2009, Chapter 5,” available at http://archive.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/ssbg/reports/
2009/index.html.
75 This section was authored by Sarah A. Lister, Specialist in Public Health and Epidemiology, Domestic Social Policy
Division.
76 For more information on the National Response Framework see https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/
documents/117791.
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of drugs and medical supplies); disease surveillance; food and water safety activities; and
workforce assistance to health departments. Reimbursements to HHS for mission assignments are
presented in Table 17, Table 18, and Table 19.
DRF-Funded Crisis Counseling Program (CCP)
Pursuant to Section 416 of the Stafford Act, the President may provide assistance for the
establishment of crisis counseling services in areas affected by declared major disasters. CCP, a
program to provide short-term mental health screening, counseling, and referral services in
presidentially declared disasters, is jointly administered by FEMA, the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in HHS, and affected states. Amounts
provided to each state for the response to the Gulf Coast hurricanes are displayed in Table 13.
Federal Assistance for Health Care
In response to Hurricane Katrina, Congress authorized and appropriated a one-time program of up
to $2.1 billion to cover full federal funding of the state match that would normally have been
required under the Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP) programs, and the
costs of uncompensated care, for eligible individuals from disaster-affected areas. Assistance was
provided both to directly affected states and to certain states that hosted evacuees. Funding was
also authorized “to restore access to health care in impacted communities,” and was provided to
stabilize the primary care workforce in three directly affected states: Alabama, Louisiana, and
Mississippi.77 Outlay amounts are presented in Table 14.78
Appropriations to Existing HHS Accounts
In response to the 2005 hurricanes, Congress provided, in emergency supplemental
appropriations for affected areas, $4 million for communications equipment for community health
centers, and $8 million for mosquito abatement in affected states.79 The amounts obligated from
this emergency supplemental funding are presented in Table 15.
Grants from Existing HHS Accounts
In some cases, funds available in existing HHS accounts were provided for hurricane relief. For
example, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Emergency Prescription
Assistance Program provided up to $2 million in individual assistance for affected counties in
Texas following Hurricane Ike. Also, the HHS Office of Minority Health provided $12 million in
77 P.L. 109-171, Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), §6201, 120 Stat. 132-134, February 8, 2006; and P.L. 109-62, Second
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Meet Immediate Needs Arising From the Consequences of Hurricane
Katrina, 2005, 119 Stat. 1991, September 8, 2005. The $2 billion appropriated in the DRA was in addition to $100
million appropriated earlier to the National Disaster Medical System, some of which was also transferred for this
purpose. See GAO, Hurricane Katrina: Allocation and Use of $2 Billion for Medicaid and Other Health Care Needs,
GAO-07-67, February 28, 2007, and GAO, Hurricane Katrina: CMS and HRSA Assistance to Sustain Primary Care
Gains in the Greater New Orleans Area, GAO-10-773R, June 30, 2010.
78 Congress also provided $90 million in grants to states for high-risk pools that provide health insurance to individuals
who are otherwise uninsurable. P.L. 109-171 (DRA), §6202, 120 Stat. 134. Almost all states were eligible and received
awards under this program. Although it was not the primary focus, some states may have used the funds to provide
insurance coverage to hurricane evacuees.
79 P.L. 109-234, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane
Recovery, 2006, 120 Stat. 463, June 15, 2006. A portion of funds for communications equipment was provided to
North Carolina, which deployed a field hospital to the Gulf Coast; funding was used to facilitate that aid.
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grants to minority-serving organizations following Hurricane Katrina. Third, SAMHSA
Emergency Response Grants (SERG) provided funds to states for mental health and substance
abuse services following Hurricane Katrina.80 Amounts for SERG grants are presented in Table
13.
Administrative Waivers
The federal government funds a significant portion of the nation’s health care costs, through the
Medicare and Medicaid programs, veterans and Indian health care systems, and other activities.
In response to the major hurricanes, HHS invoked numerous waiver authorities that allowed state,
local, tribal, and private health care providers and facilities affected by the disasters to continue
receiving federal health care services and/or reimbursements under altered conditions, such as the
use of temporary facilities, the use of volunteer providers, and care provided to individuals not
usually eligible.81 Although these waivers did not provide new funds to disaster-affected areas,
they prevented the loss of substantial federal revenues. Several HHS agencies also allowed states
to reprogram federal grant funds, including from most of the grants administered by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Public Health Emergency Fund
The Secretary of HHS has authority to use a no-year fund82 for public health emergencies.
However, the fund has not had a balance since the 1990s, so it was not available for the response
to the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes.83
Table 13. Disaster Relief Funding for Crisis Counseling, Mental Health, and
Substance Abuse Services
(Allocations as of June 2010; Dollars in Thousands)
Alabama
Florida
Hurricane
CCP
SERG
Katrina
$3,019
$100
—
Rita
—
—
Wilma
—
Gustav
Ike
Total
Texas
SERG
CCP
SERG
—
$100,436
$200
$41,101
$150
—
—
$4,484
—
—
—
$10,401
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
$16,476
—
—
—
—
—
$100 $10,401
SERG
Mississippi
CCP
$3,019
CCP
Louisiana
— $121,396
SERG
CCP
—
$150
$144,556
$600
—
$2,709
—
$7,193
—
—
—
—
—
$10,401
—
—
—
—
—
—
$16,476
—
—
—
—
$8,267
—
$8,267
—
$150 $186,893
$600
$200 $41,101
CCP
Total by Program
$150 $10,976
SERG
Source: Information for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma from FEMA, “Disaster Relief Fund: Monthly Status
Report,” (FY2010 Report to Congress), June 22, 2010, pp. 11-14; and HHS, “HHS Awards $600,000 in
Emergency Mental Health Grants to Four States Devastated by Hurricane Katrina,” press release, September 13,
80 HHS, “HHS Provides Prescription Drug and Durable Medical Equipment Assistance for Uninsured Texas Victims of
Hurricane Ike,” press release, September 12, 2008; HHS, “HHS Awards Grants to Support Minority Health,” press
release, September 30, 2005; and HHS, “HHS Awards $600,000 in Emergency Mental Health Grants to Four States
Devastated by Hurricane Katrina,” press release, September 13, 2005, available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
81 These waiver authorities are described at, “Department of Health and Human Services, “1135 Waivers” available at
https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/Pages/1135-waivers.aspx.
82 No-year funds are available until they are expended.
83 See “Federal Funding to Support an ESF-8 Response,” in CRS Report RL33579, The Public Health and Medical
Response to Disasters: Federal Authority and Funding, by Sarah A. Lister.
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2005, available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/. Information for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike provided by FEMA Office
of External Affairs, July 14, 2010.
Notes: CCP is the Crisis Counseling Program. SERG is SAMHSA Emergency Response Grants. A hyphen
indicates that no funds were provided. Although CCP allocations may have continued since June 2010, FEMA has
not provided incident-specific funding information since that time. The SERG allocations as presented are final.
Table 14. Disaster Relief Funding for Health Care Costs and Infrastructure
(Outlays as of December 31, 2012; Dollars in Thousands)
Source
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Texas
Health care costs
$240,300
$1,800
$741,100
$581,400
$33,100
Primary care stabilization
$38,300
-
$57,600
$92,800
-
$278,600
$1,800
$998,700
$674,200
$33,100
Total
Source: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources, February 26, 2013.
Notes: Authority and appropriations pursuant to the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), Section 6201, limited to the
Hurricane Katrina response. Amounts included $2.0 billion appropriated under DRA, and authority to transfer
up to $100 million previously appropriated to the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). For health care
costs only, funding was provided to 21 additional states and the District of Columbia, which hosted evacuees.
Table 15. Disaster Relief Funding for Communications Equipment and Mosquito
Abatement
(Obligations as of July 2009; Dollars in Thousands)
Purpose
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Texas
Total
Communications
equipment
$667
$667
$667
$667
$663
$3,331
Mosquito abatement
$798
-
$3,202
$2,871
$1,109
$7,980
$1,465
$667
$3,869
$3,538
$1,772
$11,311
Total
Source: HHS: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Legislation; and CDC
Washington Office, July 15, 2009.
Notes: Assistance provided for the response to Hurricane Katrina pursuant to P.L. 109-234. North Carolina
also received a comparable award for communications equipment. On July 15, 2010, the HHS Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources confirmed that the amounts appropriated—$4 million for
communications equipment and $8 million for mosquito abatement—had been fully obligated.
Department of Homeland Security84
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Authority
The Stafford Act authorizes the President to issue major disaster or emergency declarations in
response to incidents in the United States that overwhelm state and local governments.85 Section
403(a)(1) of Stafford authorizes the President to direct federal resources to provide assistance
84 This section was authored by Bruce R. Lindsay, Analyst in American National Government, Government and
Finance Division.
85 42 U.S.C. §5121 et seq.
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essential to meeting immediate threats to life and property resulting from a major disaster.86
Section 304 of the Stafford Act authorizes the reimbursement of other agencies from funds
appropriated to the DRF for services or supplies furnished under the authority of the Stafford
Act.87
Program Description
The primary mission of FEMA is to “reduce the loss of life and property and protect the Nation
from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by
leading and supporting the Nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system
of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation.”88
FEMA provides assistance to states, local governments, tribal nations, individuals and families,
and certain nonprofit organizations through the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF).89 The more
significant aid programs authorized under the Stafford Act include the Public Assistance Program
(PA);90 and the Individual and Household Program (IHP), which includes Other Needs Assistance
(ONA)91 and Debris Removal,92 the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP),93 and Essential
Assistance.94
P.L. 112-17595 requires the FEMA Administrator to provide a report by the fifth day of each
month on the DRF which includes DRF funding summaries. The DRF report provides funding
information by state for the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes. As shown in Table 16, the DRF report
aggregates funding for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.
Table 16. Disaster Relief Funding by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
(Cumulative Obligations as of February 5, 2013; Dollars in Millions)
Hurricane
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
$1,022
$233
$31,016
$10,058
$1,900
$44,229
Ike
$15
-
$329
-
$4,178
$4,522
Gustav
$19
$8
$1,544
$47
-
$1,618
Total
$1,056
$241
$32,889
$10,105
$6,078
$50,369
Katrina, Rita, and Wilma
Texas
Total
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Disaster Relief Fund: Monthly Report, February 5, 2013.
86 42 U.S.C. §5170b(a)(1).
87 42 U.S.C. §5147.
88 Federal Emergency Management Agency, “About the Agency,” available at https://www.fema.gov/about-agency.
89 The DRF is the main account used to fund a wide variety of programs, grants, and other forms of emergency and
disaster assistance to states, local governments, certain nonprofit entities, and families and individuals affected by
disasters. In most cases, funding from the DRF is released after the President has issued a declaration pursuant to the
Stafford Act. For further analysis on declaration process, see CRS Report R43784, FEMA’s Disaster Declaration
Process: A Primer, by Bruce R. Lindsay.
90 §406, 42 U.S.C. §5172.
91 §408, 42 U.S.C. §5174.
92 §407, 42 U.S.C. §5173.
93 §404, 42 U.S.C. §5170c.
94 §403, 42 U.S.C. §5170b.
95 Making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2013, and for other purposes.
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FEMA Mission Assignments by Federal Entity
Mission assignments are directives from FEMA (on behalf of the requesting state) to other federal
agencies to perform specific work in disaster operations on a reimbursable basis. The mission
assignment contains information that is used by FEMA management to evaluate requests for
assistance from states, other federal agencies, and internal FEMA organizations.96 Mission
assignments are paid out of the DRF through funds appropriated to FEMA rather than funds
appropriated directly to the respective agency. Table 17 contains a list of mission assignment
funding by entity for Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and Rita. Table 18 contains mission assignment
data for Hurricane Gustav and Table 19 contains mission assignment funding for Hurricane Ike.
As shown in Tables 17, 18, and 19, mission assignment funding can be assigned directly to an
agency, directly to an agency’s program/activity, or both.
Table 17. Mission Assignment Funding by Agency: Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and
Rita
(Net Obligations, as of January 1, 2013)
Department/Agency
Department of Agriculture
Obligations
$2,573,496
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
$55,776
Food and Nutrition Service
$10,493
U.S. Forest Service
$162,523,398
Department of Commerce
$2,171,004
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of Defense
Army Corps of Engineers—Great Lakes and Ohio River Division
$2,503,387
$380,614,318
$2,522
Army Corps of Engineers—Mississippi Valley Division
$3,606,709,470
Army Corps of Engineers—South Atlantic Division
$234,037,021
Army Corps of Engineers—South Western Division
$208,521,382
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
Department of Energy
$1,005,796
$209,373
Department of Health and Human Services
$74,004,453
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
$15,101,893
Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Federal Protective Service
National Communications System
$15,487,544
$459,381
$182,228,449
$4,310,150
Transportation Security Administration
$351,511
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
$304,257
96 Department of Homeland Security, “Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment
Request,” 69 Federal Register 9350, February 27, 2004.
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Department/Agency
Obligations
U.S. Coast Guard
$183,542,905
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
$77,487,035
U.S. Secret Service
$8,800
Department of Housing and Urban Development
$41,700,880
Department of Justice
$29,976,879
U.S. Parole Commission
Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
$2,056,790
$925,851
$4,958,193
Department of State
$18,101
Department of the Interior
$234,730
Bureau of Indian Affairs
$21,189
Bureau of Reclamation
$820,442
National Park Service
$52,921
U.S. Geological Survey
$471,065
Department of Transportation
$442,007,004
Federal Aviation Administration
$7,433
Department of the Treasury
$1,754,433
Department of Veterans Affairs
$2,931,612
Agency for International Development
$1,749,789
American Red Cross
Corporation for National and Community Service
Environmental Protection Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
$11,159
$1,028,304
$264,062,645
$354,546
General Services Administration
$56,410,169
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
$1,768,211
National Archives and Records Administration
$434,350
National Capital Planning Commission
$7,469
National Labor Relations Board
$215,543
Office of Personnel Management
$400,000
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
$70,100
Railroad Retirement Board
$5,419
Social Security Administration
$817,509
Tennessee Valley Authority
$9,039,858
U.S. Postal Service
Total
$129,208
$5,941,178,581
Source: Unpublished data provided by FEMA.
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Notes: Mission Assignments were given to departments as well as the entities within some of the departments.
The obligations data in the table reflect both department-wide and subdepartment entity-specific obligations for
mission assignments. Totals are not provided for each agency.
Table 18. Mission Assignments by Agency: Hurricane Gustav
(Net Obligations, as of January 1, 2013)
Department/Agency
Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
U.S. Forest Service
Obligations
$45,000
$178,465
$2,750,000
Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
$15,000
Department of Defense
Army Corps of Engineers-Mississippi Valley Division
$105,349,225
Army Corps of Engineers-South Atlantic Division
$1,587,780
Army Corps of Engineers-South Western Division
$831,710
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
$62,000
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
$120,000
$17,476,000
Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
$857,000
Federal Communications Commission
$75,000
Federal Protective Service
$7,653,644
Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Program
$220,000
National Communications System
$48,426
Transportation Security Administration
$13,978
U.S. Coast Guard
$571,960
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
$82,411
Department of Housing and Urban Development
$140,000
Department of Justice
$1,281,144
Department of Labor
$10,000
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
$35,000
Department of State
$40,000
Department of the Interior
$20,000
National Park Service
$300,000
Department of Transportation
$621,904
Department of Treasury
$50,000
Department of Veterans Affairs
$10,000
Corporation for National and Community Service
$252,049
Environmental Protection Agency
Congressional Research Service
$12,007,379
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Department/Agency
Obligations
General Services Administration
$4,274,543
Tennessee Valley Authority
$3,448,894
Total
$161,322,222
Source: Unpublished data provided by FEMA.
Notes: Mission assignments were given to departments as well as the entities within some of the departments.
The obligations data in the table reflect both department-wide and subdepartment entity-specific obligations for
mission assignments. Totals are not provided for each agency.
Table 19. Mission Assignments by Agency: Hurricane Ike
(Net Obligations, as of January 1, 2013)
Department/Agency
Obligations
Department of Agriculture
$2,153,188
U.S. Forest Service
$18,990,000
Department of Defense
$25,030,836
Army Corps of Engineers—Mississippi Valley Division
$19,200,000
Army Corps of Engineers—South Atlantic Division
$7,926
Army Corps of Engineers—South Western Division
$243,230,000
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
$808,051
$235,000
$36,630,000
Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Federal Protective Service
$580,000
$24,995,000
Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Program
$340,000
National Communication System
$135,000
Transportation Security Administration
$639,978
U.S. Coast Guard
$668,180
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Justice
$1,346,668
$386,398
Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
$30,000
Department of the Interior
$850,000
Bureau of Indian Affairs
$10,000
U.S. Geological Survey
$558,485
Department of Transportation
$115,597
Federal Aviation Administration
$250,000
Department of Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs
Congressional Research Service
$4,011
$260,000
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Federal Disaster Assistance After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike
Department/Agency
Obligations
Corporation for National and Community Service
$84,236
Environmental Protection Agency
$58,365,000
General Services Administration
$1,026,351
Tennessee Valley Authority
$4,350,768
Total
$441,280,673
Source: Unpublished data provided by FEMA.
Notes: Mission assignments were given to departments as well as the entities within some of the departments.
The obligations data in the table reflect both department-wide and subdepartment entity-specific obligations for
mission assignments. Totals are not provided for each agency.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)97
Community Development Block Grants
Program Authority
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program was first authorized as Title I of the
Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, P.L. 93-383, (42 U.S. C. §5301, et al.).
Program Description
Funds are allocated by formula to states, Puerto Rico, and eligible (entitlement) communities to
be used to fund eligible housing, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development
activities. After funds are set aside for Indian tribes and insular areas 70% of each year’s annual
CDBG program appropriation must be allocated to CDBG entitlement communities, including
metropolitan cities with populations of 50,000 persons or more, central cities of metropolitan
areas, and statutorily defined urban counties. The remaining 30% of appropriated funds are
allocated to states for distribution to non-entitlement communities.
Eligible activities must meet one of three national objectives. The activity must
principally benefit low or moderate income persons;
aid in preventing or eliminating slums or blight; or
address an imminent threat to the health or welfare of residents of an area,
including disaster relief, mitigation, and long-term recovery activities.
In addition, a state or entitlement community grantee must certify that it will expend at least 70%
of its CDBG allocation over a three-year period on eligible activities principally benefiting lowand moderate-income persons.
In addition to allowing a state or entitlement community to fund disaster-recovery efforts under
the CDBG’s imminent threat national objective using CDBG regular appropriation, Congress has,
at its discretion, appropriated additional supplemental CDBG funds in response to presidentially
declared disasters. In addition to appropriating funds for disaster recovery activities, the statute
authorizing the CDBG program grants the Department of Housing and Urban Development
97 This section was authored by Maggie McCarty, Specialist in Housing Policy and Eugene Boyd, Analyst in
Federalism and Economic Development Policy.
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(HUD) the authority to waive or modify program regulations, except those relating to public
notice, fair housing, civil rights, labor standards, environmental review, and the program’s lowand moderate-income targeting requirement, when CDBG funds are used to respond to
presidentially declared major disasters.98
Funds are allocated to states and communities to cover unmet needs not covered by state and
local efforts, private insurers, and standard federal disaster programs administered by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration, and the Army Corps of
Engineers. As a condition of funding, grantees are required to submit, for HUDs approval, a
disaster recovery plan.
Funding
In the aggregate, the six states identified in Table 20 were awarded a total of $23.971 billion in
CDBG disaster relief assistance to fund disaster relief activities in response to the five hurricanes
identified in the table. Nearly 60% of this amount was allocated to Louisiana while Mississippi
received approximately 30% of the total.
Five of the six states included in Table 20 received a total allocation of $19.672 billion in
response to the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005. Louisiana received the largest share (75%) of this
amount followed by Mississippi (28%), Texas (2.5%), Florida (1%), and Alabama (less than 1%).
A total of $4.296 billion was awarded to five of six states included in Table 20 to support disaster
recovery activities in response to Hurricane Ike. Texas accounted for 71% of the total followed by
Louisiana (25%), Tennessee (2%), Florida (1.8%), and Mississippi (less than 1%).
Table 20. Distribution of CDBG Disaster Recovery Funds for Selected States, by
Disaster Declaration
(Allocations as of Feb. 25, 2013; Dollars in Thousands)
Hurricane
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Tennessee
Katrina-RitaWilma
$95,614
$182,970
$13,410,000
$5,481,221
Gustav
—
—
—
Ike
—
$81,063
$95,614
$264,033
Total
Texas
Total
—
$503,194
$19,672,999
$2,281
—
—
$2,281
$1,058.690
$6,283
$92,517
$3,057,919
$4,296,472
$14,468,690
$5,489,785
$92,517
$3,561,113
$23,971,752
Source: HUD, available at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/comm_planning/
communitydevelopment/programs/drsi/activegrantee.
Notes: Allocations for Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and Rita were reported and presented as an aggregated total.
Rental Assistance/Section 8 Vouchers
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, authorized at 42 U.S.C. §1437f(o), provides
portable rent subsidies that low-income families can use to rent housing units offered by private
market landlords. Families with vouchers contribute an income-based payment towards their rent
98 42 U.S.C. §5321. For funds designated under this chapter by a recipient to address the damage in an area for which
the President has declared a disaster under title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act [42 U.S.C. §5170 et seq.], the Secretary may suspend all requirements for purposes of assistance under §5306 of
this title for that area, except for those related to public notice of funding availability, nondiscrimination, fair housing,
labor standards, environmental standards, and requirements that activities benefit persons of low and moderate income.
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(generally equal to 30% of a family’s income), and the federal government, through local public
housing authorities (PHAs), pays the landlord the difference between the tenant’s contribution
and the contract rent for the unit.
Congress provided over $555 million to HUD to provide rental assistance (in the form of Section
8 Housing Choice Vouchers) to families displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The first $390
million of that amount was appropriated to HUD to provide temporary rental assistance vouchers
to families that were previously assisted by HUD programs, but were displaced by the 2005
hurricanes.
Later, HUD was given a mission assignment by FEMA to begin providing rental assistance to all
remaining households displaced by the 2005 hurricanes. HUD named this program the Disaster
Housing Assistance Program (DHAP), and the cost of the DHAP was covered by FEMA’s
Disaster Relief Fund. Following Hurricane Ike, FEMA and HUD established another Disaster
Housing Assistance Program (DHAP-Ike) for families displaced by that storm, also funded
through the DRF under a mission assignment.
Following the first appropriation, and establishment of the mission assignments, Congress
appropriated $85 million for HUD to fund the cost of ongoing, permanent Section 8 rental
assistance vouchers for displaced families whose temporary housing assistance under DHAPKatrina was expiring. Congress later appropriated an additional $80 million to create new Section
8 rental assistance vouchers in the areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Table 21 provides the total appropriations for disaster-related rental assistance vouchers. It does
not provide allocations by state for all rental assistance funding because that information is not
readily available and would be difficult to determine. Most of the funding for rental assistance
was not allocated to the local public housing authorities (PHAs) administering the program by
state. Rather, it was allocated based on where displaced families were living. For example, a PHA
in Texas may have been administering a voucher on behalf of the Housing Authority of New
Orleans for a family who was living in New Orleans before the storm, but relocated to Alabama
after the storm.99 The $80 million for new vouchers was allocated to housing authorities and
Table 21 provides a breakdown by state for those funds.
Supportive Housing
The Louisiana Recovery Corporation titled its recovery plan, which was primarily funded with
emergency CDBG funding, the “Road Home” program. As shown in Table 21, Congress
appropriated $73 million to HUD for allocation to Louisiana’s Road Home program (Supportive
Housing) to fund the creation of permanent supportive housing units for the elderly and persons
with disabilities. Of that amount, $50 million was appropriated through an existing homeless
assistance grant program that serves homeless persons with disabilities (called Shelter Plus Care)
(authorized at 42 U.S.C. Chapter 119) and $23 million was appropriated through the Section 8
Housing Choice Voucher program.100
99 The Housing Authority of New Orleans sustained so much damage as a result of the storm that they contracted with a
PHA in Harris County, TX, to administer their voucher program for them.
100 For more information about the Shelter Plus Care program, see CRS Report RL33764, The HUD Homeless
Assistance Grants: Programs Authorized by the HEARTH Act, by Libby Perl; for more information about Section 8
vouchers, see CRS Report RL32284, An Overview of the Section 8 Housing Programs: Housing Choice Vouchers and
Project-Based Rental Assistance, by Maggie McCarty.
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Public Housing Repair
Low-rent public housing is federally subsidized housing owned and operated by local PHAs and
available to low-income families. Several public housing developments, particularly in New
Orleans, suffered severe damage after Hurricane Katrina. As shown in Table 21, Congress
appropriated $15 million in emergency funding to HUD’s public housing capital fund (authorized
at 42 U.S.C. §1437g), which was allocated to PHAs to aid in the repair of severely damaged
public housing in Louisiana.
Inspector General
As shown in Table 21, Congress appropriated $7 million for the HUD Inspector General to help
fund the cost of enhanced oversight over disaster recovery funding.
Table 21. Disaster Relief Funding by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development
(Allocations; Dollars in Thousands)
Department of
Housing And Urban
Development
Alabama
Florida
Louisiana
Mississippi
Rental
Assistance/Section 8
Vouchersa
$6,109
$10,980
$16,908
Supportive Housing
—
—
Public Housing Repair
—
Inspector Generalb
Total
Texas
Total
$16,797
$27,706
$78,500
$73,000
—
—
$73,000
—
$15,000
—
—
$15,000
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
$7,000
$6,109
$10,980
$104,908
$16,797
$27,706
$173,500
Source: Table prepared by CRS. Figures are based on P.L. 109-148, P.L. 109-234, P.L. 110-28, P.L. 110-116, P.L.
110-252, P.L. 110-329, and P.L. 111-32. Community Development Block Grant allocations taken from
https://web.archive.org/web/20120808044154/http://portal.hud.gov:80/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/
comm_planning/communitydevelopment/programs/drsi/activegrantee. Rental Assistance/Section 8 Voucher
allocations taken from https://web.archive.org/web/20170222002106/https:/www.hud.gov/offices/pih/publications/
sec1203/thu-cong-ntf.pdf. Public Housing repair information was taken from HUD’s FY2010 Congressional
Budget Justifications.
Notes: Total amounts allocated do not equal total amounts appropriated in some cases because funds have
been reserved by the department for administrative costs.
a. Note that state allocations are only provided for the $80 million provided for new vouchers by P.L. 111-32.
b. An additional $7 million provided by P.L. 109-234 for Community Development Block Grants was required
to be transferred to the Office of Inspector General.
Department of Justice101
Established by an “Act to Establish the Department of Justice”102 with the Attorney General at its
head, the Department of Justice (DOJ) provides counsel for the government in federal cases and
protects citizens through law enforcement. It represents the federal government in all
proceedings, civil and criminal, before the U.S. Supreme Court. In legal matters, generally, the
101 This section was authored by Nathan James, Analyst in Crime Policy, Domestic Social Policy Division.
102 28 U.S.C. §501.
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department provides legal advice and opinions, upon request, to the President and executive
branch department heads.
To date, the DOJ has received a total of $287.5 million in supplemental appropriations for
departmental expenses related to hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and to award grants to Gulf
Coast states. Table 22 provides a breakdown of how DOJ obligated disaster funding among
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
Legal Activities
Program Authority or Authorities
Subtitle A of Title XI of the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization
Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162) authorized appropriations for the General Legal Activities and U.S.
Attorneys accounts. For the General Legal Activities account the act authorized $679.7 million
for FY2006, $706.8 million for FY2007, $735.1 million for FY2008, and $764.5 million for
FY2009. For the U.S. Attorneys account the act authorized $1.626 billion for FY2006, $1.691
billion for FY2007, $1.795 billion for FY2008, and $1.829 billion for FY2009.
Program Description
The Legal Activities account includes several subaccounts, including General Legal Activities
and the U.S. Attorneys. The General Legal Activities subaccount funds the Solicitor General’s
supervision of DOJ’s conduct in proceedings before the Supreme Court. It also funds several
departmental divisions (tax, criminal, civil, environment and natural resources, legal counsel,
civil rights, INTERPOL, and dispute resolution). The U.S. Attorneys enforce federal laws through
prosecution of criminal cases and represent the federal government in civil actions in all of the 94
federal judicial districts.103
Funding Narrative
Since 2005, Congress has appropriated a total of $17.5 million in supplemental appropriations for
this account. This amount included $2.0 million for General Legal Activities and a total of $15.5
million for the U.S. Attorneys. Chapter 8 of Title II of the Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 (P.L.
109-234) provided $2 million for General Legal Activities “to investigate and prosecute fraud
cases related to hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region.”104 Chapter 8 of Title I of Division B of the
Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the
Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006 (P.L. 109-148) provided $9 million for the
U.S. Attorneys “to support operational recovery from hurricane-related damage in the Gulf Coast
region.”105 Chapter 8 of Title II of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense,
the Global War on Terror and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 (P.L. 109-234) provided the U.S.
103 U.S. Department of Justice, Offices of the United States Attorneys, “United States Attorneys’ Mission Statement,”
available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/about/mission.html.
104 U.S. Congress, House, Making Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30,
2006 and Other Purposes, Conference Report, 109th Cong., 2nd sess., June 8, 2006, H.Rept. 109-494 (Washington:
GPO, 2006), p. 128.
105 U.S. Congress, House, Making Appropriations for the Department of Defense for the Fiscal Year Ending September
30, 2006, and Other Purposes, Conference Report, 109th Cong., 1st sess., December 18, 2005, H.Rept. 109-359
(Washington: GPO, 2005), p. 514.
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Attorneys with $6.5 million “to investigate and prosecute fraud cases related to hurricanes in the
Gulf Coast region.”106
United States Marshals Service
Program Authority or Authorities
Subtitle A of Title XI of the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization
Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-162) authorized $800.3 million for FY2006, $832.3 million for FY2007,
$865.6 million for FY2008, and $900.2 million for FY2009 for the United States Marshals
Service (USMS) account.
Program Description
The federal marshals’ service was founded in 1789, making it the oldest federal law enforcement
agency. A presidentially appointed U.S. marshal directs the operations of the marshals’ services in
each of the 94 federal judicial districts. The USMS facilitates the functioning of the federal
j
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