Gov Edwards To Meet With President, Congress In Washington

Governor John Bel Edwards is traveling to Washington, D.C., today to meet with federal officials about getting more assistance for Louisiana flood victims. Edwards says his office now has a better understanding of the flood damage and an idea of how much money it will take to repair it all. He says they are asking for $2 billion to help flood victims rebuild their homes.

“That’s not transportation dollars. That’s not hazard mitigation money. That’s not agriculture. That’s the housing piece,” Edwards said.

Edwards says he plans to tell Obama administration officials that this is the most significant natural disaster since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The governor says he’ll also speak with Congressional leaders who returned from summer recess this week, so they understand the level of damage the historic flood spread across 20-plus parishes.

“Our goal is to make sure that those people coming back to Washington, D.C., from all over the country know what happened here in Louisiana,” Edwards said.

Edwards says the state has to make sure the spending is accountable and that we spend the money wisely. He says he’s also asking for full funding for the Comite River Diversion Project, which could prevent disastrous flooding in the Baton Rouge area.

“So that we can channel a lot of that flood water into the Mississippi, where it can safely handle that water and keep it out of our streets and our homes and our businesses,” Edwards said.