Fort Worth’s costs to help with Hurricane Harvey estimated at $1 million

Fort Worth is estimating its costs to send firefighters and police to Houston as well as providing emergency sheltering to about 180 Hurricane Harvey evacuees to be about $1 million.

The money the city spends should be reimbursed by the state, which asked Fort Worth and Dallas to step in and provide shelter services and mutual aid. But in the meantime, the City Council Tuesday is expected to adopt an appropriation ordinance to allow several city departments to spend the money associated with that help.

“It could be less or it could be more,” Fire Chief Rudy Jackson said Monday of the amount.

The Fire Department still has about seven employees and two trucks working in Houston, Jackson said. The Police Department, which at one time had 107 officers in Houston, still has 53 officers there, the department said.

And, as of Monday morning, 89 people, mostly from Port Arthur, were still being sheltered at Wilkerson-Greines Athletic Center in south Fort Worth, Jackson said.

Jackson said the city is anticipating most of the evacuees will return to their homes by the end of the week. Some, though, may decide to stay in Fort Worth and assistance in doing that will be provided, he said.

The money is used to pay salaries and overtime for city employees, equipment, as well as humanitarian associated costs, such as food, water, clothing and other necessities, the city said.

In addition to the fire and police departments, employees from Transportation and Public Works, Code Compliance and Park and Recreation departments helped in the city’s efforts.

Hurricane Harvey slammed in the state’s Gulf Coast Aug. 25 and lasted seven days as it moved into Louisiana, causing wide spread devastation. In Houston, the storm dropped 44 inches of rain.

This story was originally published September 11, 2017 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Fort Worth’s costs to help with Hurricane Harvey estimated at $1 million."