Recovery Begins For Parishes Affected By Severe Weather

Recovery efforts are underway from the severe weather that damaged homes and killed two people. Spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Mike Steele says they are working with parish leaders in hard hit areas to see what kind of assistance is needed. He says preliminary damage assessment teams will survey the destruction.

“From there, we’ll have to decide if there was enough damage or if the damage was significant enough to help with individual assistance for homeowners from FEMA.”

Steele says Rapides seems to be the hardest hit parish, but this was an unusual weather event that affected nearly every corner of the state.

“There were pockets of problems, you didn’t see widespread damage in certain areas. It was more pockets of problems but just spread out all across the state.”

The severe weather caused for road closures in many parishes, uprooted trees and left thousands without power. Steele says Governor Edwards took a trip to Alexandria and Breaux Bridge to see the damage first hand. He says a mother and her 3-year-old daughter died after their trailer flipped in Breaux Bridge early Sunday morning.

“He met with that family and offered them some words of encouragement. He encouraged the public to help donate to a fund that was set up for that family.”

A GoFundMe account has been set up for funeral expenses in the name of Francine Gotch and her toddler, Neveah Alexander. An account has also been set up at Farmers Merchant Bank and donations can be made at all bank locations in St. Martin Parish.