Six Months Later:
An Eye Toward the Future

It has now been six months since Tropical Storm Allison slammed Southeast Texas.

In the immediate aftermath of the flooding that devastated the Texas Medical Center, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state made a simple pledge: to do whatever we could to help.

Since early June, we have tried to make good on that promise. Millions of dollars have been made available to eligible institutions to reimburse for emergency work and to repair damaged buildings and equipment. The first mitigation projects have also been funded so that Texas Medical Center institutions can build back safer and stronger.

But that is just a downpayment on what eligible applicants can expect to receive. Over the next few months, we anticipate providing hundreds of millions of dollars more for permanent repair work. The funding process involves documenting damages and evaluating insurance coverage so that all eligible, uninsured losses can be addressed. It is a time-consuming process sometimes, but an important one, as it allows us to maximize the provision of federal and state disaster aid.

Texas Medical Center institutions should be applauded for the insurance coverage they maintained prior to the flooding. Insurance is always the first line of defense against natural disasters, and these institutions will be far better off for having been insured than if they had relied solely upon government assistance.

Similarly, there has been a tremendous commitment from the Texas Medical Center institutions to mitigate their campus facilities against flooding and other disaster risks. FEMA and the state, together with the applicants, are looking for opportunities to implement disaster- resistant measures wherever possible. Funding for these initiatives will be significant, and the projects will surely pay big dividends in the future.

The spirit of teamwork and cooperation we have established with our on-campus partners will pave the way for whatever challenges lie ahead. We currently have a combined staff of 75 dedicated exclusively to the Texas Medical Center, and we will be here for as long as it takes to complete the job.

While FEMA and the state will play a key role in the ongoing recovery efforts, we know that it is the entire Texas Medical Center community that deserves credit for the tremendous strides that have been made in the last six months. Despite the staggering losses, the critical work of the institutions was continuing even before the floodwaters had fully receded.

David Fukutomi is the deputy federal coordinating officer and Dell Greer is the deputy state coordinating officer for the Texas Medical Center Task Force.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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