NEW ORLEANS — Lafourche Parish presidents said the parish is assisting those whose homes may be inhabitable because of hurricane Ida.
Parish President Archie Chaisson is urging folks to register for individual assistance through FEMA to make sure officials know you need shelter assistance.
If you have not registered, you can call the emergency operations center in Lafourche Parish, at 985-532-8174. They will add you to the list of people who need long-term shelter whether that could include a FEMA trailer.
"We're hopeful that the parallel path the governor's office is taking now, we should have some form of units come down in the next 14 or so days, and the bulk of them coming around day 30 when FEMA decides to get its act together and starts shoving stuff to us," Archie Chaisson, Lafourche Parish President said.
People who do have housing are dealing with mud that has been in front of their homes for weeks. Residents are concerned because they don't know if the mud is safe.
"It's disgusting it has this really horrible sewer smell to it," Gina Lombas, a Lafourche Parish resident said.
Gina Lombas and her husband stayed at their home in Lafourche during Ida. Lombas said it took about four to five days for the water to recede and after is when the mud appeared.
It is a problem for Lombas because her yard was green.
"It's just horrible because you can't go in the yard without any boots, it's wet, it's slushy," said Lombas.
Lafourche Parish leaders said compared to about a month ago there have been steps to recover. First responder crews have been repairing lines to get power restored to residents.
"Still a lot of mud and debris on the roads that we're trying to get cleaned up out of drainage ditches just to provide positive drainage for residents, and that's going to be long term, another month or so because of the condition of the mud, but we're going to get it out," Archie Chaisson, Lafourche Parish President said.
Parish leaders said so far they have spent about $300,000 to get the mud out of some of the harder-hit areas in the parish. They expect the clean up could last through October.
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