Federal aid extended for Ike victims

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) - Texas communities still recovering from the 2008 wallop of Hurricane Ike have another year to spend $44 million in federal assistance.

The U.S. House has granted an extension for the funding, to be used by social services agencies in the Houston and Galveston  areas.

The cities faced losing the money when a Sept. 30 deadline to spend the block grants passed with no extension.

The U.S. Senate later approved an additional year. The House approved the extension Thursday, sending the measure to President Barack Obama.

Ike came ashore Sept. 13, 2008, at Galveston in what was later described, by Texas leaders, as the costliest natural disaster in state history.

Overall damaged topped $29 billion, and more than three dozen people died.