By the Numbers

Somewhat after the fashion set by Harper's Index this week FEMA released a summary of last year's hurricane season titled "Florida’s Disaster Recovery Operation - By The Numbers".

Fifteen data points are given, among them such mildly interesting facts as these --

• 48 Million: "As of July 15, 2005, the National Flood Insurance Program had paid 2,498 claims for a total of more than $48 million.


• 1.2 Million: More than 1.2 million Floridians applied for federal and state assistance through FEMA’s registration system, setting an agency record. On Sept. 28, 2004, FEMA took a record 44,800 applications nationwide in a single 24-hour period.

There's one number that seems a little odd, though:

"9,600: Disaster medical teams treated more than
9,600 patients for storm-related injuries."

That's one team per patient over four hurricanes in two and a half months. Seems a little strange, no?