Close to three months after the Texas wildfires were declared major disasters, assistance tosurvivors has topped $32 million.

“Our primary goals have been to ensure wildfire survivors aresafe and secure, and that they get the assistance they need tobegin rebuilding their lives,” says Federal Coordinating OfficerKevin Hannes of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “Our assistance hasaveraged $10 million a month since the declaration, and that'smaking a difference.”

The assistance funds break down to the following:

• $10.5 million in rental assistance and grants to repair andrebuild homes
• $2.4 million for other disaster-related needs such as personalproperty, medical care, and funeral expenses
• $62,000 in disaster unemployment assistance has gone toworkers, or the self-employed who lost their jobs, or have beenunable to work due to the disaster
• $18 million, from the U.S. Small Business Administration(SBA), has been approved in low-interest disaster loans for 162homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes.
• $1.3 million has been obligated to the state under FEMA'sPublic Assistance (PA) program, whose applicants include the stateand its agencies, local governments, and certain private nonprofitorganizations

More than 4,000 wildfire survivors have registered with FEMA across the 23counties designated for individual assistance.

Eligible applicants in 31 Texas counties can apply for FEMA PAreimbursements for the cost of removing wildfire-related debrisfrom public rights of way, for measures taken to protect lives andproperty before, during and after the blazes, and to help defraythe cost of repairing infrastructure damaged or destroyed as aresult of the wildfires.