Hurricane damage still being tallied
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Posted Oct. 8, 2008 |
By Jennifer Garvin More than three weeks have passed since Hurricane Ike pummeled the Texas and Louisiana coasts.
 The ADA estimates some 3,400 active member homes and offices were located in the hurricane's 12-county impact area, with approximately 200 of those located in devastated areas. Ike was the latest in a batch of powerful hurricanes and summer storms to batter the Gulf Coast in recent months, and dentists in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas continue to struggle.
Among the hardest-hit areas were Galveston Island and Galveston, Texas. Other Texas counties severely affected were Seabrook, La Porte, Baytown and Texas City, all located in suburban Houston, as well as the Southwestern coast of Louisiana.
San Antonio, site of this year's ADA annual session, was not affected by the storm, and annual session will proceed Oct. 16-19 as scheduled. More than 30,000 people are projected to attend this year's meeting.
The ADA would like to remind dentists whose practices suffered damage that the ADA offers disaster relief and assistance.
As part of its Charitable Assistance Programs, the ADA Foundation has approved grants of up to $2,500 for dental professionals affected by disasters as well as grants for organizations that provide dental services to affected areas. Each dentist's situation will be considered individually by the ADA Foundation's Charitable Assistance Program Committee. Dentists applying for grants should fully explain what they have lost, including dental and other office/home supplies and goods. To apply for relief online, visit www.adafoundation.org/ada/adaf/grants/index.asp#disaster.
Stay tuned to the ADA News and ADA.org for more details and personal stories from dentists who are recovering from storm damage. A longer story will appear in the Oct. 20 issue.
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