Hurricane Bret (1999) - Aftermath

Aftermath

On August 23, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed 717 personnel, mainly from the disaster response team, to the affected regions in the United States. The following day, 564 National Guard troops were deployed in the state. In the days following the storm, many mosquitoes and other insects laid eggs in areas of standing water, causing a large increase in their numbers. Authorities sprayed insecticide to minimize the potential for disease outbreaks. By August 25, all shelters opened prior to Bret were closed as residents were allowed to return home. On August 26, President Bill Clinton added the counties of Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells and Webb to the major disaster declaration area. This allowed residents in those counties to receive federal funding.

Reconstruction of public facilities, roads, and water pipes received increased funding on September 3 to speed up the program. The following day, twelve disaster recovery centers were opened in the affected counties for residents to apply for federal funding. On September 9, two more disaster recovery centers were opened for residents in south Texas. Later that day, $831,593.28 (1999 USD) in disaster housing grants was distributed to affected residents. On September 15, roughly 10,200 people applied for disaster loans, amounting to $3.1 million (1999 USD). A total of 167 also received crisis intervention from FEMA. In Corpus Christi, winds and rain covered the city in debris and brush, costing $200,000 (1999 USD) for clean-up.