Baton Rouge, La. — As Louisianans repair or rebuild their homes damaged by August floods, FEMA and local hardware and home improvement stores have teamed up to provide free information, tips and literature on making homes stronger and safer.FEMA mitigation specialists will be on hand to provide information at area Home Depots from  Aug. 25 through Sept. 10. They will be available to answer questions and offer home improvement tips and proven methods to prevent and lessen damage from future disasters. Most of the information is geared for do-it-yourself work and...

BATON ROUGE, La. - Disasters such as the recent floods and storms commonly result in the loss of important documents, but Louisiana residents have ways to replace them. Here is a list of useful websites and telephone numbers:SNAP Cards:(Food Stamps): Phone: 1-888-524-3578Website: www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAPGreen Cards: Phone: 800-375-5283Website: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/replace-green-cardBirth and Death Certificates: Phone: 225-342-9500Website: http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/635Louisiana Driver’s Licenses: Phone: 888-214-5367Website: http://omv.dps.state.la.us/Bank Checks, ATM/Debit Cards or Safe Deposit Boxes: Phone: 877-275-3342Website: https://www.fdic.gov/Credit Cards – Contact the appropriate issuing institution:American Express: 800-327-1267https://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/help/lost-stolen-card.htmlDiscover: 800-347-2683https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/help-center/MasterCard: 800-627-8372https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/consumers/get-support.htmlVisa: 800-847-2911https://usa.visa.com/support/consumer/lost-stolen-card.htmlCredit Reports: Equifax, Experian or TransUnionPhone: 877-322-8228Website: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.actionSocial Security Cards:Phone: 800-772-1213Website: https://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/Fraud...

AUSTIN, Texas—Three major disaster declarations affecting dozens of Texas counties—some on multiple occasions—will result in nearly one quarter-billion dollars in federal assistance to repair or replace damaged infrastructure.FEMA said today that combined federal aid for severe weather disasters in May-June 2015; October 2015, and January 2016 will help fund recovery efforts for 3,087 individual projects among 569 applicants for Public Assistance.Public Assistance is an element of FEMA’s disaster response that benefits everyone—neighborhoods, cities and states, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations—by reimbursing eligible work on damaged publicly-owned infrastructure.PA dollars:clean up...

BATON ROUGE, La. Disaster recovery centers will open Wednesday, Aug. 24, in Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish and in New Iberia in Iberia Parish to help Louisiana flood survivors. The centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday until further notice.The disaster recovery centers are at the following addresses:Veterans Home 800 Veterans Dr. Breaux Bridge, La. 70517Iberia Parish Fire Protection District Training Center 2417 Darnall Road New Iberia, La. 70560Survivors may locate other centers near them at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362.To register,...

One of the things we see most often after disasters is the concept of "neighbors helping neighbors"—where communities come together to help each other through. This round of flooding in Louisiana has shown us nearly countless instances of this; from children helping to supply lunches for first responders and survivors, to athletes from colleges and professional teams volunteering around their adopted communities. It's been a truly wide-spread humanitarian effort, and one that we've been astounded, humbled, and inspired by. Here's a quick breakdown of just some of the great things...

Official website of the Department of Homeland SecurityOriginal linkOriginal author: scott.reuter

BATON ROUGE, La. –You may find yourself frequently moving if you’re a survivor of Louisiana’s recent severe storms and floods.If you’ve had any changes to your contact information it’s important to let FEMA know so the disaster assistance process stays on track.FEMA may need to contact you to schedule an inspection or to get additional information to help process your application. That’s why it’s important to let them know as soon as possible if you’ve moved or have a new phone number.You may update contact information two ways:If you had storm...

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today an extension to the grace period for expiring flood insurance policies, the latest in a series of actions to support the state in its ongoing response and recovery efforts in Louisiana.National Flood Insurance Program policies typically have a 30-day grace period for renewal to avoid a lapse in coverage. Due to the record flooding, the period to renew policies is extended to 120 days. Today’s action extends the grace period to policies ending Aug. 11 through Sept. 10 and applies to...

BATON ROUGE, La. – Disaster recovery centers will open Tuesday, August 23, in Gonzales in Ascension Parish and in Baton Rouge and Zachary in East Baton Rouge Parish to help Louisiana flood survivors. The centers are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday until further notice.Disaster recovery centers are located at the following addresses:2nd Baptist Church 914 N. Acadian ThruwayWest Baton Rouge, La. 70802Zachary Men’s Club 5746 Rollins RoadZachary, La. 70791 Survivors may locate other centers near them at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. Survivors may...

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that due to the damage and displacement caused by recent flooding, the grace period to renew flood insurance policies has been extended to 120 days, for certain parishes in Louisiana.“We’ve seen major destruction to communities across the state; thousands of Louisianans have been displaced,” said Roy Wright, deputy associate administrator for FEMA’s Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration.  “This extension will give policyholders one less thing to worry about, at a time when they are trying to focus on getting back into...