Two Acadiana Parishes To Get Help From FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced that people in three more parishes, including two in Acadiana, will be able to get help through them.

Three parishes have been added including Acadia, Vermilion and Quachita.

Governor John Bel Edwards is requesting, via a press release, that anyone in these parishes who has damage to apply for the aid through FEMA. The governor is also requesting that another fourteen parishes be added to the list to get assistance.

Anyone who needs to report their damage and/or ask for help from FEMA needs to register by going to http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov. If you prefer, you may call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA(3362). If you have issues with speech, or if you have issues with hearing impairment, you can all toll-free at 1-800-462-7585 which is the TTY(teletype) line. According to Governor Edwards' office, the phone lines will be open seven days a week from 7 in the morning until 10 o'clock each night.

Governor Edwards had the following to say about FEMA adding three more parishes to their list to receive aid:

This approval will help the residents of Acadia, Vermilion and Ouachita parishes move forward in their recovery from this devastating storm, which brought destructive winds from one corner of our state to the other. If you suffered damage in Hurricane Laura and live in one of the nine parishes approved by FEMA for federal assistance, please register for FEMA assistance as soon as you can, even if you aren't sure if you qualify.

The Governor says that they are still diligently working to get other parishes added to the list. He is asking residents of other areas to continue to be patient during the time that FEMA is assessing damage in the various parishes affected by the storm.

Edwards commented about the situation,

To those in the fourteen parishes awaiting FEMA approval for assistance, know that we are advocating for you each and every day, and we know the loss you suffered in this devastating storm, which has been followed by many days of power outages. We will continue to make the case to FEMA for all requested parishes to be approved for Individual Assistance.

Depending on each situation, someone may qualify for the following from FEMA:

Grants for temporary house
Grants for home repairs
Low-cost loans for uninsured property loss
Other programs to help individuals and business owners to recover from the storm

The nine parishes who are have been designated as being eligible for disaster help are the following: