Governor: La. flood damage tops $8.7B
BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said his state had more than $8.7 billion in damage from catastrophic flooding in August, and the figure is likely to increase as officials finish assessing damage to roads and other public infrastructure.
The governor’s office Saturday released a letter Edwards sent Friday to President Barack Obama.
In it, the Democratic governor asked that Congress this month approve $2 billion in federal aid for Louisiana for housing, economic development and infrastructure. He said it’s a “very reasonable request,” adding to other programs assisting in Louisiana’s flood recovery, such as aid from the Federal Agency.
“While short-term relief for immediate needs available through FEMA for items such as temporary rental assistance, essential home repairs and other disaster-related needs are greatly needed and greatly appreciated, our full recovery will not be realized without additional help,” Edwards wrote.
A storm that started Aug. 12 dumped as much as 2 feet of rain in some parts of Louisiana over two days, and the flooding has been described as the worst disaster in the U.S. since Superstorm Sandy struck the East Coast in 2012.
Edwards said flood damage has been documented to over 55,000 houses in Louisiana, and that could double as aid applications and inspections continue. More than 80 percent of damaged homes lacked flood insurance because most were outside the 100year flood plain.
More than 6,000 businesses flooded, with more than $2.2 billion in damages to buildings, equipment and inventory, Edwards said. He also said there are “conservative estimates” of more than $110 million in damage to agriculture.
An estimated 30 state roads were washed out.