U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy wrote a letter to President Donald Trump and an administrator with FEMA asking that they waive the local cost-share percentage (25 percent) and cover 100 percent of the costs associated with damage from Hurricane Laura.
“While the prompt federal assistance and relief efforts by FEMA and other federal agencies to assess the damages and needs of our Louisiana citizens is commendable, there is no doubt that much more needs to be done before there is anything resembling a return to normalcy in the hardest-hit communities impacted by Hurricane Laura. A stronger federal commitment to help people and communities recover from this cataclysmic hurricane is therefore required.”
Sen. Cassidy
Click here to read the full letter.
Hurricane Laura caused damage to an estimated 800,000 yards of debris and left 600,000 citizens without power. While most of the debris was in the southwest parishes of Louisiana, the debris trail extends into Central and Northern Louisiana.
Local officials in Central Louisiana spoke about Cassidy’s letter and the possibility to be fully covered by federal funding from Hurricane Laura.
Grant Parish Sheriff, Steven McCain, said, “It would be hundreds of thousands of dollars of savings. I mean it would be absolutely incredible. I think the school system is going to be close to three million dollars in damages. Maybe $350,000 for the sheriff’s office alone."
Other officials said that this year has already been a challenge - having to adjust to COVID-19, but now Hurricane Laura has caused local businesses and members of the community to take another financial hit.
Leesville Mayor, Rick Allen, said, “The parish that will take the hit on this deal has already taken a hit on this because of COVID-19 being shut down and revenues being down because our businesses can’t open.”
Rapides Parish Police Jury President Craig Smith added to that by saying, “Everyone, of course from COVID-19, is suffering because of sales tax and different things. We all got a tight budget already and on top of COVID-19, we had Hurricane Laura so if we would be being fully covered, it would be huge for us."
Smith said that if Rapides Parish had to pay the 25 percent of costs for damages, it would still cost them around $800,000 for debris removal.