KENNER, La. — Large piles of storm debris are stacked in front of people’s homes in the University City Subdivision nearly two weeks after Hurricane Francine flooded more than 500 structures in Kenner.
Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser and his Deputy CAO Aimee Vallot walked the block on Tulane Drive checking on the recovery effort and meeting with neighbors.
Mayor Glaser talked with Robert and Debbie Ohlsen.
We first met the Ohlsens the day after Francine hit.
More than a foot of water gushed into their home when the nearby Duncan Canal overflowed its banks.
“We haven’t received any money from none of our insurance to start even trying to get anything out,” Debbie Ohlsen told the mayor.
“That’s why we fought for the last several days to be included in this disaster declaration,” Glaser responded.
After being left off the initial list, Kenner and the rest of Jefferson Parish are now among the Louisiana parishes qualifying for federal disaster aid.
“FEMA did come through for us,” Debbie Ohlsen said. “So, I thanked the mayor for that.”
With JP homeowners and renters now eligible for FEMA assistance, some may now qualify for federal flood mitigation grants to help elevate their homes. Some homeowners took advantage of the program after past storms flooded this neighborhood in NW Kenner.
“If you look around this neighborhood, just in this block, the homes that have been raised in the past, none of them took in any water,” Glaser said.
“That’s my next step,” Robert Ohlsen said. “I definitely want to get my house raised. I’m going to start that process right away.”
Residents may also qualify for low-interest disaster loans and help with temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, and personal property loss.
To apply for Federal Disaster Assistance:
- Go online to disasterassistance.gov
- Download the FEMA app for mobile devices.
- Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.
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