LAFAYETTE PARISH — Gov. Jeff Landry and officials from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness toured areas of Morgan City, New Orleans, and Houma on Friday to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Francine and coordinate relief efforts for residents in need.
Landry and state officials are calling on President Joe Biden to issue a major disaster declaration for Louisiana to allow the state access to federal aid.
“We have had some citizens whose properties have been affected. We have been working extremely diligently to make sure that we get the resources necessary so that we can bring those citizens the aid they need,” Landry said. “We’re waiting on a declaration from the White House.”
Before Hurricane Francine made landfall, President Biden issued an emergency declaration for Louisiana. State officials have now requested a major disaster declaration to further assist residents impacted by the storm.
Steve Scalise, majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, said assessments are underway to determine if the state meets the criteria for additional federal aid.
“Ultimately, as the assessments come in, if it meets the criteria, hopefully we can get that major disaster declaration,” Scalise said.
While Louisiana did not experience any loss of life, Scalise said the storm caused more damage than anticipated, with between 150,000 and 300,000 homes experiencing flood damage.
“The parishes are already identifying where some pumps failed,” Scalise added.
Scalise also noted that state officials are looking into how to use resiliency funds to strengthen infrastructure and improve flood prevention systems.
Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday, Sept.11 as a Category 2 storm and left widespread flooding, wind damage, and power outages.
