FEMA opens recovery requests, Ascension begins roadside debris pickup after disaster declaration

BATON ROUGE – Late Monday night, President Biden approved Louisiana’s request to declare a major disaster, allowing those most affected by Hurricane Francine to apply for federal assistance.

Thanks to the declaration, residents of the following municipalities are entitled to apply for either individual or public assistance:
– Parish of Ascension
– Parish of the Assumption of Mary
– Lafourche Municipality
– Parish of St. Charles
– Parish of St. James
– Parish of St. John the Baptist
– Parish of St. Mary
– Municipality of Terrebonne

There is a one-time payment of $750 per household to help cover necessities, as well as assistance for those unable to return home due to the disaster. The money can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends, or other options while you look for temporary accommodation.

Both forms of assistance are funded after an inspection has confirmed eligibility.

To apply for assistance from FEMA, homeowners and renters can visit disasterassistance.gov online, download the FEMA mobile app, or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The following documents are required for the application:
– A current telephone number where you can be reached
– Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now
– Your social security number
– A general list of damages and losses
– Bank details if you choose direct deposit
– If insured, the insurance number or the agent and/or company name

To apply for support, click here.

Following Biden’s statement, Ascension Parish announced that it would offer curbside trash pickup service, picking up trash from the public dumpsters previously used in Gonzales and Donaldsonville.

“We contacted FEMA and our debris removal contract today. Everyone is out in Ascension Parish assessing the situation. They will report back to our office this afternoon,” said Rachael Wilkinson, Ascension Parish’s emergency preparedness director.

The department said it would have a debris removal plan in place by Wednesday.

“So we want to make it clear to our citizens that they should take their debris, their vegetation, their construction debris away. Divide it into two piles and put it on the side of the road, on the right-of-way,” Wilkinson said.

The garbage crew will not collect household garbage, she added, and will only accept items in clear bags so workers know what is inside.

“We cannot accept anything in black bags,” Wilkinson said.

The municipality also has its own team that flies drones over the waterways to collect data and report it to the authorities.

The municipality has also set up a website for residents to register. The link can be found here: https://arcg.is/8XPTj

If citizens have further questions, they are welcome to contact the municipality’s Citizen Service Center at 225-450-1200.

The Town of Livingston is asking residents not to set aside construction debris for curbside pickup. Parish President Randy Delatte said the parish has not received approval from FEMA for a major declaration, which would include removing roadside debris.

Government assistance will help cover the costs of home repairs, temporary accommodation and uninsured property damage.

On September 10, President Biden approved a request to declare a state of emergency prior to Francine’s landfall.

On social media, Congressman Garrett Graves praised Biden for approving the request and urged FEMA officials to ensure the money gets to residents quickly.

“This declaration is This is welcome news, but the response must be swift and effective and not tied to the already slow recovery after Ida,” Graves said.

Congressman Troy Carter also praised the Biden administration for this step.

““I am extremely grateful to President Joe Biden for issuing this additional declaration that provides much-needed recovery assistance to the hardest hit communities. This assistance is critical to helping our communities rebuild and move forward,” Carter said.