Claims News Service, Feb. 10, 6:19 a.m. EST -- Five months after Hurricane Ike smashed into the upper Texas Gulf Coast, recovery efforts are still underway. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State of Texas, and other federal and local entities continue to work together to repair the massive destruction the storm left in its wake.

This arduous undertaking is not cheap. The current tally for federal and state assistance to help Texans recover from Hurricane Ike has surpassed $1.5 billion. In conjunction with the Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management, FEMA has provided a summary of assistance approved as of February 5, 2009:

Nearly $488 million has been approved for Texans' recovery efforts. This allotment will be used for disaster assistance for housing, disaster-related needs, and disaster unemployment assistance. In addition, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more than $552 million in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes. An overview of other recovery funding is listed below: