Houston's Hurricane Fund distributes another US$28.9m to flood victims
Houston's Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund on Wednesday announced the distribution of US$28.9 million in donated funds to local organizations that will provide financial aid and services to flood victims.
The fund was founded by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, according to a release by the mayor's office.
Wednesday's announcement marked the second round of fund disbursements. Officials are working on the third round to be completed by January.
Since its establishment after the hurricane, the fund has collected more than US$100 million. With Wednesday's announcement, the fund has distributed more than US$36 million. The fund will continue to collect donations through Dec. 31, 2017.
"Bouncing back from disaster is hard work for flood victims trying to repair homes, pay for temporary housing, replace damaged personal belongings and start their lives over," Emmett said. "So, the administrators of the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund are working hard to meet their needs."
Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, displacing hundreds of thousands of people, damaging nearly 200,000 homes. The total damage caused by Harvey was estimated as US$180 billion.