Biloxi recovery news

Some numbers as Biloxi enters the 24th month after Hurricane Katrina:

• The city's Community Development Department has issued nearly 20,000 permits of one type of other in the past 23 monthys, but a few of the key figures: A total of 303 new single-family home building permits have been issued in the past 23 months, accounting for an estimated $44 million in new-home construction. That’s a post-Katrina average of more than 13 new-home construction permits a month.
• More than 3,984 overall building permits have been issued for storm repairs, triggering nearly three times as many permits for electrical, plumbing and mechanical work for each residential building permit. The total valuation of the residential storm-repair permits: $61.8 million.
• Of the 2,500 or so temporary trailer permits issued by the city since Aug. 29, 2005, only about 450 trailers are believed to be in use today in Biloxi. The number of FEMA temporary trailer parks in Biloxi has dropped from 13 to a half-dozen.
• A total of 466 commercial building permits have been issued, for an estimated value of $333.4 million.
• Gaming revenue figures for casinos in Biloxi has set new records in one form or other in eight of the past 10 months, beginning with September 2006, when Biloxi casinos recorded their largest monthly revenue figure in the city’s 15-year history of legalized gaming.
• As of July 22, the city had hauled off more than 2.94 million cubic yards of debris, which would create a debris field large enough to cover a football field and stand more than 138 floors high. The city estimates that more than 98 percent of the Katrina debris has been removed.
• The city’s latest projection to FEMA is that debris removal and disposal in Biloxi will cost $79.7 million. To date, the city has spent $61.2 million and has been reimbursed $49.7 million. A few pending aspects of the debris removal effort, such as removal and disposal of the fishing bridges are Point Cadet and Back Bay, will account for nearly $4.5 million of the $79.7 million figure.