Community Relations Teams Visit Storm-Struck Parishes 

Release Date: October 23, 2002
Release Number: 1435-78

» More Information on Louisiana Tropical Storm Isidore

Baton Rouge, LA -- Teams of state and federal community-relations specialists are visiting Louisiana's eight newly declared disaster parishes to provide information about available disaster assistance programs to businesses, homeowners and renters who suffered damages and losses due to Hurricane Lili.

State Coordinating Officer Art Jones said emergency management officials in each of the affected parishes would work closely with the teams to focus assistance efforts on identified areas of need. "We believe face-to-face meetings are vital in assuring residents that we'll work with them to help get their lives back on track and identify any special needs as quickly as possible."

Carlos Mitchell, federal coordinating officer for recovery operations, said that the community-relations teams are an essential on-going part of the disaster outreach effort. The teams answer questions about various types of assistance and encourage residents with disaster-related needs that they must first register by calling 800-621-3362 (FEMA) or 800-462-7585 (TTY) for the speech or hearing impaired.

"From the first day a disaster is declared, these teams work on a one-to-one basis with every level of the community including local government, business, religious and volunteer organizations," Mitchell said. "They build on existing networks to expedite assistance and get the word out to people with eligible needs."

Jones said, "We do whatever it takes to spread the message that disaster help is available, including going door-to-door in affected neighborhoods to let people know that we can help with unmet needs arising from the disaster." He added that the teams would remain in the declared parishes as long as they are needed.

Under the expanded presidential declaration announced Friday, October 18, federal and state assistance is available to individuals and families in Allen, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, St. Helena, Washington and West Baton Rouge parishes. Individuals and households in 36 parishes are eligible for a wide range of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state disaster programs to aid with uninsured damages and losses due to Hurricane Lili.

Last Modified: Thursday, 24-Jul-2003 16:35:30