President Biden approved disaster declarations for several parishes in Louisiana following flooding in May.
According to a release, Biden ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding from May 17 to May 21, 2021.
The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the parishes of Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, and Lafayette.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
“I want to thank President Biden for his quick approval of our request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which will go a long way to help the thousands of people affected in Louisiana by quick and severe flash flooding that damaged homes and left five people dead,” Gov. Edwards said. “As people continue to recover, I encourage everyone who was affected in Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Iberville and Lafayette parishes to register for FEMA aid. If your parish is not yet declared and you suffered damage, you may continue self-reporting it online at damage.la.gov.”
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated parishes can begin applying for assistance by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.
The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
Gov. Edwards declared a state of emergency for the May flooding on May 17. So far, more than 2,900 homes have reported damage from the severe weather, including six that were reported as destroyed, 737 suffering major damage, and 1,209 homes having minor damage, the governor's office reports.
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