Pres. Biden approves Gov. Edwards’ Major Disaster Declaration request for Hurricane Ida

Information provided by The White House:

Today (August 29, 2021), President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Ida beginning on August 26, 2021, and continuing.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.

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.

Generators, including non-medical, need to be purchased, or rented, prior to September 25, 2021, to be considered eligible for reimbursement. Applicants need to upload their receipts to their Disaster Assistance Account for these costs to be assessed.

Those interested in generator and/or chainsaw reimbursement from FEMA must first apply for assistance. They may do so by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, downloading the FEMA mobile app or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available. Lines are open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT, seven days a week. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Service may call 800-621-3362.

Applicants who purchase or rent a generator and/or chainsaw between Aug. 26, 2021, and Sept. 25, 2021, may be eligible to receive financial assistance for reimbursement if:

• The applicant meets the general eligibility requirements for FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program.
• The home is the applicant’s primary residence and is located in a parish designated for the Individuals and Households Program. The parishes are: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana parishes.
• The generator was purchased or rented due to a disruption in electrical utility service caused by Hurricane Ida.
• Proof-of-purchase or rental receipts for the items are submitted by the applicant.

Price Limits

FEMA may reimburse applicants up to $800 for generators and up to $250 for chainsaws.

Federal funding also is available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal in the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana and emergency protective measures statewide.

For a period of 30 days from the start of the incident period, assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, is authorized at 100 percent of the total eligible costs.

Lastly, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named John E. Long as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more parishes and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated parishes can begin applying for assistance tomorrow 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 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

The following information is from the Office of the Louisiana Governor:

BATON ROUGE, La. - Gov. John Bel Edwards has requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration due to the severe impact from Hurricane Ida, which slammed into the coast of Louisiana on Sunday in Port Fourchon as a Category 4 storm with 155 mile per hour winds. Within a few hours of making landfall, and with the storm still impacting Louisiana, thousands of people were already without power. Surge and damaging winds are impacting areas along the coast and will continue to impact areas further inland through Monday.

RELATED: Hurricane Tracking Center

“Hurricane Ida is one of the strongest storms to ever hit Louisiana. It is our goal to assist our local agencies and the citizens of the state as quickly as possible, and we have pre-positioned search and rescue teams, boats and other assets to begin helping people as soon as it is safe. This major disaster declaration will help Louisiana better respond to this crisis and protect the health and safety of our people, and I hope the White House will act quickly so we can begin getting additional aid and assistance to our people,” Gov. Edwards said. “President Biden and FEMA have worked with us on the response in the days leading up to the storm making landfall. It is important that we, once again, roll up our sleeves and continue a coordinated response and recovery. I am confident that working with our federal and local partners we can get the job done and overcome the latest challenge to the state.”

• Click here to read the Governor’s request.

Gov. Edwards is requesting Individual Assistance as well as Critical Needs Assistance for the parishes initially dealing with storms impact. Many households in the requested areas are or will be displaced from their primary residence for an extended period of time. He also requests Public Assistance Category A, Debris Removal and Categories C through G for infrastructure damage in the state.

Additionally, Gov. Edwards requests Public Assistance, Category B, related to emergency protective actions, shelter and temporary housing costs. To better assist local areas recover from Hurricane Ida, the state is asking that the federal cost share for both Category A and B work be increased to 100% for 30 days. Finally, Gov. Edwards requested Hazard Mitigation statewide.

On Friday, President Biden approved the Governor’s request for a Federal Declaration of Emergency prior to the storm making landfall. A Major Disaster Declaration will open up additional assistance to the state.

Louisiana continues its response to the latest COVID surge while also continuing recovery efforts related to the 2020 hurricanes, including Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta.

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