The U.S. Dept. of Transportation is providing a total of $679 million to help states repair and rebuild roads and bridges damaged by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav and Midwest floods and earlier storms. DOT Secretary Mary Peters announced during an Oct. 23 visit to hurricane-battered Galveston, Texas, that the department was making the relief funds available immediately.

Congress appropriated the funds as part of a spending package that was enacted on Sept. 30.

The money, provided through the Federal Highway Administration's emergency-relief program, is being allocated to 28 states and Puerto Rico.

Under the program, FHWA reimburses states for costs incurred in fixing roads damaged by storms or other natural disasters.

Top five top state recipients of the funds are:

California, which is getting $119 million, for storms in the winters of 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Texas, $96.5 million, including $70 million for damages from Hurricane Ike.

Louisiana, $80.6 million, for damages caused by this year's Hurricanes Gustav and Ike; plus 2006 heavy rains; and some costs of 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

Oklahoma, $36.2 million, for damages from flooding, a landslide, a storms over the May 2007 to June 2008 period.

Arizona, $26.7 million, for 2005 and 2006 flooding and a landslide in March 2008.

To view the entire state-by-state list, see www.dot.gov/affairs/dot15608chart.htm