UPDATE ON WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE TO LOUISIANA FLOOD DISASTER, PLUS WHERE TO GET HELP

buzzz worthy. . .

While President Obama is still on vacation getting plenty of golfing in, he is on top of the flooding situation in Southeast Louisiana.  This morning he spoke to state officials and continues to receive updates. Obama has ordered carte blanch support for the over 40 thousand homes impacted by the flood. 

A state of emergency was declared in 20 parishes that were left under water from a sever storm that struck on FEMA is managing recovery efforts to including contacting families, insurance, and taking applications for assistance here. Individual parishes are also providing alerts and updates on their respective Facebook pages.

Deputy Press Secretary Jen Friedman provided the following update today.

From Deputy Press Secretary Jen Friedman

This morning, the President spoke with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, who traveled 

to Louisiana yesterday, to receive an update on the response to ongoing flooding in 

the state.  In the latest of a series of updates the President has been receiving 

since the weekend, Administrator Fugate briefed the President on the resources that 

have been provided to support the response and recovery, including federal assistance available 

to individuals who have been impacted and FEMA Corps volunteers.  The President directed Administrator 

Fugate to utilize all resources available to assist in the response and recovery and asked to be regularly 

briefed on the ongoing response.  In addition, DHS Secretary Johnson will visit the impacted region on Thursday 

to review the ongoing response.

Earlier this week, the President spoke with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to 

let him know that he had approved a Major Disaster Declaration for affected parishes 

in Louisiana.  FEMA has been on the ground in the region since before the flooding 

began and continues to mobilize across the state to respond to emergency needs and 

to assist with recovery including getting people into temporary housing.  Already 

more than 70,000 people have registered for individual assistance under the federal 

disaster declaration and over 9,000 have filed flood insurance claims.

The previous disaster relief response is below: 

President Obama Signs Louisiana Emergency Declaration

                                                                                                                                                           

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions in the area affected by flooding during the period of December 28, 2015 to February 1, 2016. 

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the parishes of Concordia, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, St. Mary, Terrebonne, and West Feliciana.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding. 

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Gerard M. Stolar as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.