Road to Recovery – The Flood of 2016 Information

-Recovery information-

updated: 8-30-2016

Immediate Releases:

The East Baton Rouge Council on Aging announced today

that it will hold a Community Recovery Event to assist seniors and their families that are in need of help as a result of the flooding. The event will be held Saturday, September 3, 2016 at the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging’s Main Location (5790 Florida Blvd.) from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. Seniors will be able to pick-up: cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, incontinence supplies and nutritional supplements. The agency will also be disbursing a hot meal.

East Baton Rouge Parish School System transportation officials are requesting the assistance of district families in ensuring students have transportation to continue their education in the school where they began the 2016-17 school year. Displaced students are being asked to provide the district with information on transportation needs from any new address. The information is being collected through a very brief online form located on the homepage of the East Baton Rouge Parish school website at ebrschools.org. The form may be completed using any computer, tablet, smart phone, or device connected to the Internet. Parent Resource Center computers are also available school sites to complete the form. Each school will also be accepting transportation change requests by phone, as will the main office at 922-5400. One form must be completed for each student that requires transportation changes.

A disaster recovery center will open on Saturday, August 27, in Livingston Parish to assist Louisiana flood survivors. The center is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. The disaster recovery center is operating at the following address and hours:

Livingston Parish

Location: North Park Recreation Center (at the corner of Lockhart)

30372 Eden Church Road

Denham Springs, LA 70726

Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Survivors may locate other centers near them at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

The Baton Rouge Police Department’s DWI Task Force will continue participating in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign which runs thru September 5, 2016. Task Force Officers will conduct additional saturated patrols now ending late Monday morning, September 5, 2016.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Curfew has been lifted…

Pastor Ronald Hardy Sr. and The Faith, Hope and Love Worship Center Flood Relief Effort Saturday, August 27^th from 2pm till 4pm at 4055 Chotaw Drive… Giving Away: H ot Meals, Clothing, Care Packages, and Cleaning Supplies.

Louisiana renters who experienced losses due to the severe storms and flooding beginning on Aug. 11, 2016, may be eligible for disaster recovery assistance from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Renters may be eligible for grants from FEMA to help with such disaster-related expenses as:

Renting a new place to live when the renter’s previous home was lost due to the disaster.
Disaster related medical and dental expenses.
Replacement or repair of necessary personal property lost or damaged in the disaster, such as appliances and furniture, textbooks and computers used by students, and work equipment or tools used by the self-employed.
Repair or replacement of vehicles damaged by the disaster.
Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses.

Recovery Resources

Progressive Insurance: As a result of the severe flooding, the state of Louisiana has ordered all insurance companies to give their customers time to recover without concerns about coverage. We fully support their action, and have taken the following steps to help you focus on recovery while remaining confident you have the insurance you need. We’ll keep your coverage active—even if you’re unable to make a payment or return any previously requested information—through September 12, 2016. This applies to any policy, including those covering automobiles, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles and commercial autos.

Applying for emergency unemployment benefits? Log on to laworks.net for details

Those needing assistance should report to the old Mervin’s store located on the entrance two (2) side of the mall. Social Service workers from the Salvation Army will take applications, then volunteers will fill requests while supplies last. A drive-thru has been set up for those needed only water and clean-up kits. .

The Grammy’s MusiCares foundation is helping musicians in need. Please direct those musicians in need to MusiCares toll-free help line: 1.877.626.2748

Disaster recovery centers will open Monday, August 22, in Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish, Amite in Tangipahoa Parish and St. Francisville in West Feliciana 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:

Hammond:Former Parish Tourism Building, 42271 S. Morrison Blvd.
Greensburg: Helena Environmental Health Unit, 53 N. 2nd St.
Baton Rouge:New Hope Baptist Church, 5856 Greenwell Springs Rd.
Amite:Amite City Office Complex, 721 S. First St.
Francisville:Independence Community Center, 10494 State Highway 965

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 seek assistance at any disaster recovery center, including centers in other states.

To register, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline at
800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

It is not necessary to visit a center to register for and receive federal disaster assistance. If possible, survivors should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center. For information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or go online towww.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov/disaster/4263.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) announced where residents in Acadia, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, and Lafayette parishes can finalize applications for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) benefits.

DSNAP operations will begin Monday, August 29, through Saturday, September 3, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the following parishes:

Acadia Parish – City of Rayne Civic Center, 300 Frog Festival Drive, Rayne

Ascension Parish – Lamar Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. St. Landry Avenue, Gonzales

East Baton Rouge Parish

Council on Aging Capital City Event Center, 6955 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge

G. Clark Activity Center, 798 Harding Blvd, Baton Rouge

Gloryland Baptist Church, 6745 Greenwell Springs Road, Baton Rouge

Louisiana Leadership Institute, 5763 Hooper Road, Baton Rouge

Lafayette Parish – Blackham Coliseum, 2330 Johnston Street, Lafayette

To minimize wait times, applicants and anyone who pre-registered for benefits must go to the DSNAP location on the day indicated by the first letter of their last name.

Monday, August 29: A-D

Tuesday, August 30: E-K

Wednesday, August 31: L-R

Thursday, September 1: S-Z

Friday, September 2: A-K applicants unable to make prior scheduled day

Saturday, September 3: L-Z applicants unable to make prior scheduled dayNATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM (NFIP) If you have flood insurance, you must also file a flood insurance claim with your insurance company. The FEMA Call Center is open for policyholders who need assistance. Everyone is urged to contact their insurance company to file their individual claims.

Call 1-800-621-3362 Monday to Friday 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. and select Option 2 for the FEMA call center. Staff will be assisting policyholders with information regarding their flood insurance policy, offer technical guidance to aid in recovery and provide answers to complicated and general questions about the NFIP.

Housing:

Gov. Edwards Announces Additional Housing Solutions for Flood Survivors; Introduces Shelter at Home Program for the thousands of Louisianans impacted by the historic flooding in the recent weeks.

One of those solutions includes the Shelter at Home Program, a program new to Louisiana that will allow people to shelter at their own home while they continue to rebuild.

“We know that many people are anxious to get back to their homes, churches, schools and communities,” said Gov. Edwards. “Working alongside FEMA, we have identified several assistance programs that citizens can take advantage of in order to return to some sense of normalcy as soon as possible. I know it can’t come soon enough, but my administration is doing everything possible to make sure that help is available. I encourage everyone to explore these solutions and make the best decisions for themselves and their families.”

The additional housing solutions announced today include:

The Shelter at Home program: Beginning Monday, this program will allow homeowners and their families to stay in their homes while they rebuild, rather than relocate to a shelter, hotel or rental.
Manufactured Housing Units (MHUs) program: FEMA will provide mobile homes for up to 18 months to eligible applicants. Unlike the old FEMA trailers, these mobile homes are built according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards.
Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program (MFLRP): In this program, FEMA identifies larger scale rental property currently not on the market where the property owner, with some financial assistance from FEMA, can make the property ready to rent within two months. The property owner agrees to make these rentals available to eligible FEMA applicants.

Last week, the governor announced that eligible flood survivors may also take advantage of the following transitional housing assistance:

Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) is a temporary program for survivors displaced from their primary residence that allows eligible disaster survivors to select from a list of partner hotel rooms.
Access to available rental property listed on www.lahousingsearch.org.

Gov. Edwards again encouraged everyone impacted by the flooding disaster to register with FEMA for Individual Assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov. The Small Business Administration (SBA) will also make loans available for individuals and businesses that were damaged during the flooding. For more information visit www.sba.gov.

Louisiana, FEMA Provide Manufactured Housing Units to Some Survivors

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and FEMA are making manufactured housing units (MHUs) available to some survivors displaced by the recent severe storms and floods.

You may be able to live temporarily in an MHU if you’re eligible for FEMA help, but are unable to utilize rental assistance due to a lack of places to rent in your area.
The models are different from housing units used following other Louisiana federal disaster declarations.

o All units are constructed in accordance to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and FEMA standards.

o Units range from one to three bedrooms to suit your family’s size.

o Eligible survivors who have access and functional needs will receive accommodating units to include modifications like ramps or platform steps.

If you’re eligible to receive an MHU, you and your family may be able to place a unit on your property or a commercial park.
FEMA may provide you a unit for up to 18 months. However, it’s important to show a continued housing need and progress toward a permanent housing plan in order to continue living in a unit.
FEMA can only consider helping you with a place to stay after you apply for federal disaster assistance. You can apply two ways:

o Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.

o If you cannot access the website call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use TTY, call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

EBR POD Locations to continue operations until further notice

In an effort to keep our community going and allow our citizens to move forwad, the EBR Points of Distribution (POD) will continue to operate from 8:00AM – 8:00PM, at the following locations until further notice:

Miracle Place Church, 2080 Main Street, Baker, LA 70714
Healing Place Church, 19202 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
First Pentecostal Church, 2828 Jones Creek Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Greenwell Springs Library, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70814

The Louisiana National Guard will be onsite to distribute Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), bottled water, and ice.

Transportation Resources:

Secretary Wilson made the decision to establish this transit service in an effort to restore Baton Rouge’s workforce, many of whom reside in neighboring communities outside of city and lost vehicles in the flood. The transitional bus service, provided under contract with Hotard, will run from downtown Baton Rouge to Gonzales, Walker, Denham Springs, Central, and Geismar. The initial contract is for one week, but could be prolonged if needed.

Bus stops are two downtown locations and the CATS transfer station at the corner of Florida Avenue and 22nd Street. For information on the bus service, Hotard representatives can be reached at 504-942-5725.

ALL ROUTES: MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

Morning pick up
• Gonzales: Tanger Outlet Mall (I-10 at LA 30), Tanger Boulevard, Gonzales, 70737. Leave 6:00 a.m.
• Walker: Winn Dixie 28145 Walker South Road, Walker, 70785. Leave 6:00 a.m.
• Denham Springs: Walgreens, (corner of Range and Florida) 101 Florida Avenue SE, Denham Springs, 70726.Leave at 6:30 a.m.
• Central: Central City Hall, 13421 Hooper Road, Central, 70818. Leave at 6:30 a.m.
• Geismar: Dutchtown Crossing, 13375 LA 73, Geismar, 70734. Leave at 6:30 a.m.

All buses are scheduled to arrive downtown at 7:15 a.m. and the CATS terminal at 7:30 a.m.

Morning drop off
• Downtown Baton Rouge: (1) corner of Main Street and 4th Street and (2) corner of 4th Street and Florida Street
• CATS Transfer Terminal: – corner of Florida Street with 22nd Street

Afternoon pick up
• CATS Terminal: Leave at 5:15 p.m.
• Downtown: Leave at 5:30 p.m.

Afternoon drop off
Back to points of origin

Due to the ongoing need and demand following the recent flooding events, operating hours will be expanded at the North Baton Rouge Landfill, 16001 Samuels Road, until further notice. The landfill’s new hours will be Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. until 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Rebuilding Resources

Anyone who wants to help flood victims should visit http://volunteerlouisiana.gov . Volunteer and donation information is listed. #lagov

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST LATTER-DAY SAINTS: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is expecting to bring as many as 5,000 volunteers from surrounding states to help remove sheet rock and debris from homes hit by recent flooding.

Saturday, Aug. 27: 10533 Highland Rd., Baton Rouge, LA
Saturday, September 3: 10533 Highland Rd., Baton Rouge, LA (Two truckloads of cleaning kits, hygiene kits, and food boxes from LDS Charities are scheduled to be delivered from Atlanta. Church volunteers will be assembling food boxes to be used as cleanup begins

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA) LOANS FOR INDIVIDUALS: Homeowners can borrow up to $200,000 at as low as 1.56 % interest rate, term of up to 30 years, to repair or replace their primary residence, and up to a $40,000 loan is available for renters/homeowners to replace their contents.

https://www.sba.gov/loans-grants/see-what-sba-offers/sba-loan-programs/disaster-loans/louisiana-flooding-disaster-assistance?hb=

Education

Central school students to return Sept. 6; employees Sept. 1

Offices at Our Lady of the Lake are currently open and available to help students. All undergraduate classes (online and on campus) will begin on August 29, one week later than originally scheduled. (Updated 08/23/2016)

East Baton Rouge Public School system will resume classes on Tuesday, September 6. This decision was reached after careful consultation with staff members and evaluation of resources. Employees will continue to report to their sites as directed by their supervisor. (Updated 08/23/2016)

BRCC sites to remain closed through Friday, Aug. 19.

Start of fall semester delayed until Monday, Aug. 29.
Fall registration extended through Friday, Aug. 26.

Ascension Public Schools will reopen in a two-step phase as the district continues to recover from flooding. All employees will report to work on Wednesday, Aug. 24. Students attending schools in Donaldsonville will return on Wednesday, Aug. 24. All other students will return on Monday. Aug. 29, as the district finalizes a plan to accommodate the 5,000 students displaced from five affected campuses.

Banking services:

BATON ROUGE- JP Morgan Chase & Co. will donate $200,000 to Louisiana flood relief efforts, the company announced Friday. In addition to the grant money, Chase is also waiving late fees for mortgage, credit card, business banking and auto loans as well as overdraft, ATM and monthly service fees through August. Chase said customers can call 888-356-0023 for individual assistance.

All but three Capital One Bank Branches in Baton Rouge Area Have Reopened all but three of its offices in Baton Rouge and surrounding communities impacted by recent flooding have reopened. Only the Albany, Highland Road, and Watson remain closed.

Investar Bank located at 482 South Range Ave. in Denham Springs announced today, Aug. 22, that the Bank is back open with normal business hours of 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Investar Bank invites local residents and business owners to visit the branch for free burgers and pasta on Wednesday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Mobile/Cell Service Providers:

Verizon is offering unlimited domestic talk, text and data relief to qualified Louisiana parishes between August 14-28*, so you can stay connected when it matters most**.

AT&T are offering credits to customers in certain parishes for service disruption. We will continue to work with you and for you, as we pull together to restore and grow our community even stronger than before. Thank you for being a valued AT&T customer. Any postpaid customer impacted by our service disruption in Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Point Coupee, St. Helena, St. James, West Baton Rouge, and West Helena parishes will receive a one-time credit worth 50% off the cost of your monthly service.

Additionally, customers in the parishes declared in a state of emergency and who have incurred data overage charges for data used between Aug. 14, 2016, and Aug. 28, 2016, will be credited those overage charges.

Things you should know:

PRICE GOUGING: If you think you’ve been the victim of price gouging, please contact the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office Consumer Information Hotline at 1-800-351-4889.

Tide Loads of Hope – is currently on the ground in Baton Rouge for those areas affected by flooding to provide free, full-service laundry services to the Louisiana residents who have been affected most. Tide Loads of Hope will collect, wash, dry and fold laundry free of charge; the P&G team will also have personal care kits – including items such as Secret deodorant, Crest toothpaste, Head & Shoulders shampoo — for those in need as part of their Comforts of Home program. Today up to 100 loads of laundry (two loads per household) will be collected from Sam’S Club at 201 Bass Pro Blvd Denham Springs, LA. from 9AM-5PM.

AUTISM SOCIETY LOUISIANA: Available to assist families with Autism affected by flooding. Families affected with specific needs for their children with autism and their family may contact us at 800-955-3760 or [email protected].

Denham Springs Post Office: Due to recent flooding in several Louisiana cities, customers in Denham Springs, LA (70706) were directed to pick up their mail at a nearby alternate facility, the Baton Rouge Mail Processing Plant, located at 8101 Bluebonnet Road.

As conditions improve, the Postal Service is restoring mail delivery wherever roads are accessible. Customers in Denham Springs who live in locations passable for vehicles should be receiving mail delivery now. Customers who have a P.O. Box at the Denham Springs Post Office should continue to pick up their mail at the alternate site. Customers can pick up their mail with proper identification. Retail services are now available at our mobile retail van, which is currently deployed at the Denham Springs P.O., located at 140 Del Orleans, Monday-Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Postal Service wants to re-connect flood-impacted customers with their mail. For the last week, customers in a number of south Louisiana cities have faced floods, in their communities. As the USPS restores mail delivery in areas where it is safe to do so, the Postal Service is asking customers, who are unable to receive delivery at their permanent address to file a change of address. The quickest and easiest method? Electronically.

Customers who can should utilize the Postal Service’s Internet or Telephone Change of Address option. It’s quick, convenient, secure, and will start the process of redirecting mail to your new address within 24 hours. Electronic change of addresses can be filed online at http://www.usps.com/ or by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777). Customers, who have floods in areas without telephone service or internet access should go to the nearest post office, complete a change-of-address form, and submit it to a postal Retail Associate at the counter or mail it — it’s postage free.

Donation Sites:

The Salvation Army Supply Distribution Center at the old Mervyn’s in Cortana Mall, 9401 Cortana Place will continue distributing supplies and taking donations from 9am to 4pm, Monday through Sunday, August 22nd through 28th. Donations are still being accepted. Needed items are: shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, diapers, wipes, paper products, new bedding and pillows, rakes, cleaning supplies, pet food, new fans and wheel barrels. PLEASE … NO CLOTHING!!

Family Worship Center (FWC) has a flood relief donation center now open on the campus of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, located at 8919 World Ministry Avenue in the Phillip J. Hogan Building (located directly behind the administration building, across from the shipping department). Donations of non-perishable foods, bottled water, clothing, infant care products, packaged toiletries, cleaning supplies, pet supplies, and bedding can be dropped off Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Donated supplies are ready for pickup.

Business Recovery

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION RECOVERY CENTERS: The U.S. Small Business Administration, Louisiana Economic Development and Louisiana Small Business Development Centers is opening Business Recovery Centers to provide a wide range of services to businesses impacted by the severe storms and flooding. They are in the following locations (centers to begin hours Monday, Aug. 22, except for Walker facility, which is already open):

Amite: Amite Chamber of Commerce, 101 SE Central Ave., Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. This center will open Saturday, Aug. 20 at 9 a.m.
Baker: Baker Workforce Development Center, 3262 Baker Blvd., Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Archives, 3851 Essen Lane (near Interstate 12), Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Lafayette: Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) Executive Conference Room, 537 Cajundome Blvd., Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
Prairieville: BancorpSouth Bank, 13423 Louisiana 73, Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Walker: at the Southeastern Louisiana University Literacy and Technology Center, Room 101, 9261 Florida Blvd. in Walker. It will be open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., beginning Aug. 18. No appointment is necessary. All services are provided free of charge.

Steps To Prevent Mold Growth from Reoccurring:

Fully dry wet building materials, furnishings and carpets within 48 hours of getting wet, if possible.
Replace water-damaged items as soon as possible.
Make sure that heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) systems are always running to keep the right amount of air flowing inside of the building.
Keep indoor relative humidity below 60 percent (ideally, between 30 percent and 50 percent). Good airflow and dehumidifiers help to keep humidity low. These items are available at home supply stores.
Check roofs, ceilings, walls, floors and carpets for water leaks, mold growth or musty odors.
Fix broken roof gutters.
Routinely replace air conditioner filters and clean drip pans.
Make sure that stoves/ovens, bathrooms and clothes dryers are vented to the outside of the home, if possible.

For more information about returning home after floods or other disasters and emergencies, please visit www.dhh.la.gov/emergency.

Resources Cheat Sheet

FEMA: Phone: 800-621-3362 Web: DisasterAssistance.gov

AUTISM SOCIETY LOUISIANA: 800-955-3760 or [email protected].

Louisiana Attorney General’s Office Consumer Information Hotline:

1-800-351-4889.

EBR Schools Transportation: 225-922-5400

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: 225-927-6651 or email [email protected]

DSNAP: 1-888-LA-HELP-U

Grammy’s MusiCares Foundation: 1.877.626.2748

SNAP Cards:

(Food Stamps): Phone: 1-888-524-3578