$2.5 Million In Aid Received In La. So Far

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency says Louisiana  residents already have received approximately $2.5 million in advance payments for flood insurance claims.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate met with Louisiana  Gov. John Bel Edwards in Baton Rouge on Thursday for a briefing on the state's response to recent record-setting flooding.

Allen, Ascension, and Calcasieu parishes were added to a federal disaster declaration Thursday, bringing the number of parishes covered to 26.

Fugate said residents whose damaged property wasn't covered by flood insurance could be eligible for Small Business Administration loans or FEMA grants. He urged residents affected by flooding to register with FEMA.

A FEMA spokesman said about 3,600 Louisiana  residents, 300 residents of Texas and 200 residents of Mississippi had filed flood insurance claims as of Thursday morning.

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