Resources available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are not sufficient to “make you whole” again, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says.
The Advertiser reports Edwards, Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter and other local and state officials toured on Thursday two Lafayette Parish neighborhoods hit hard by the devastating rain that flooded hundreds of homes starting Aug. 12.
Nearly 12 inches of rain fell in three hours, and a total of 28 inches fell in Youngsville over several days, Ritter says. More than 600 Youngsville homes flooded, including about 300 in the Highland Ridge subdivision, one of the areas the governor visited.
“It’s very similar to stories we’ve heard all over south Louisiana,” Edwards says. “Historic, unprecedented flood. Homes here have never flooded before. They don’t live in a flood zone. The overwhelming majority of people didn’t have flood insurance.”
Only about 20% of Louisiana residents whose homes took on water had flood insurance, which is “what’s designed to make you whole after you suffer damages,” Edwards says.
“Even though we’re bringing to bear all the FEMA relief we can, and what’s allowed by statute, it’s not going to be enough to make people whole. And that’s unfortunate,” he says.
Edwards says residents and community leaders will have to be patient as he and Louisiana’s congressional delegation request additional federal assistance.
“It’s going to require a months-long comprehensive effort where we ask Congress for supplemental appropriations,” such as Community Development Block Grant funding, he says.
Edwards says he presented a list of requests on behalf of the state to President Barack Obama earlier this week.
Edwards estimated the flooding across south Louisiana damaged more than 100,000 homes.
