Chateau De Notre Dame Nursing Home Recuperates From Katrina With Help From Fema Funds
Over $3 million recently obligated to the facility
Release Date: March 19, 2007
Release Number: 1603-612
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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- When Hurricane Katrina ripped through Louisiana in August of 2005, the Chateau de Notre Dame nursing facility in New Orleans was one of its many casualties. Today, with the help of funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the nursing home is once again open and ready to serve the city’s retired and elderly citizens.
The hurricane’s high winds and extreme flooding caused nearly total destruction of the facility, with floodwaters rising to almost 16 inches inside the building. Today, most of the residents have returned, and the facility is once again a prominent site on Burdette Street.
These latest funds from FEMA – totaling over $3.2 million – will help reimburse the Archdiocese of New Orleans for work that encompasses two major areas: repairs to bring Chateau de Notre Dame back to its pre-disaster function and capacity, and mitigation measures designed to reduce the threat of future mold damage. Work done on the facility includes extensive repairs to the building’s roof and siding. Tools and rental equipment were also replaced, and items such as sinks, tubs, walk-in freezers and wood shelving, among others, were either restored or replaced. In addition, high-humidity ceiling tiles and flood-proof doors were installed, and several living units were raised above the current flood levels, in order to reduce the potential for mold in the future.
The Chateau de Notre Dame nursing home is a 171-bed Medicare facility that accepts both independent living residents and those that need assistance. In addition to a regular nursing home and apartments, the site also houses a chapel, dining room, rehab gym, gift shop and beauty shop. It has been in existence since October of 1977.
When projects are obligated by FEMA, the funds are transferred to a Smartlink account. This allows the state to work with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) as quickly as possible to access the monies and distribute them to the local applicants. The state may require additional documentation from the applicant before disbursals are made.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings and recreation centers, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Monday, 19-Mar-2007 11:04:40