UPDATED - 4:00 p.m. Sunday
FOX 8 News received this news release from the Louisiana Joint Information Center:
More Louisiana Residents Now Eligible for Post-Isaac Recovery Assistance from FEMA
State of Louisiana encourages disaster survivors to register for help
BATON ROUGE -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency granted Louisiana's request to offer individual assistance to four additional parishes where residents were affected by Hurricane Isaac. Residents of Ascension, Lafourche, Livingston and Orleans parishes are now eligible for disaster assistance.
The state encourages residents of all nine declared parishes - Ascension, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, St. Bernard, St. John, Plaquemines, St. Tammany - to register with FEMA for help recover from Hurricane Isaac, which flooded several parishes and left more than half a million Louisiana residents without power, forcing thousands people to evacuate their homes.
FEMA assistance is for residents of affected areas who sustained uninsured or underinsured Isaac-related damage to their homes, vehicles, personal property, business or its inventory beginning Aug. 26, 2012. FEMA has approved Individual Assistance for nine parishes so far and the state has requested this assistance be granted for residents of 14 additional parishes.
Louisiana residents can apply for disaster assistance in two ways: by applying online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or calling 1-800-621-3362. Residents with speech or hearing impairments should call (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Users of 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call 1-800-621-3362.
The state and FEMA are also coordinating to bring registration assistance directly to evacuees who are staying in shelters in the state.
FOX 8 News received this news release from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Friday evening:
WASHINGTON - Today, FEMA announced an amendment to the major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana to include the Individual Assistance Program.
Federal funding is available to affected individuals in Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. John the Baptist, and St. Tammany parishes. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and households recover from the effects of the disaster.
Individuals and households who sustained losses in the designated county can begin applying for assistance by registering online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov, by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
For more information, visit: http://www.fema.gov/public-assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit/recovery-directorate/assistance-individuals-and.
Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
On Wednesday, the President declared a major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana for emergency work and hazard mitigation.
