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.
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.