THIBODAUX, La. — “It happened fast. In ten minutes, the water was over my sandbags and into my door,” said Thibodaux resident Larry Boveland in the days after Hurricane Francine.
With no flood insurance, folks like Larry Boveland turned to his savings when flood waters entered his Midland Drive home.
“All my living room furniture, my cabinets, my beds, every room flooded,” said Boveland. “Kitchen cabinets, all the doors are swelled up and wouldn’t open or close.”
Facing costly repairs, it’s folks like Boveland who FEMA wants to hear from.
“Please reach out to us. You could very well be leaving money on the table if you don’t,” said FEMA representative Nikki Gaskins Campbell.
Gaskins Campbell says that goes for renters, students, and homeowners regardless of insurance and income. It’s for storm victims in Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes.
“We sometimes hear people say, ‘Well, I have insurance so I’m not eligible for disaster assistance,’ but you may not have enough,” said Gaskins Campbell.
While insurance is the first line of defense and where claims should start, FEMA can help bridge gaps. Whether it’s paying for essential utilities, temporary housing, or repairs, money is available.
“Ultimately, we want to make sure a person has a roof over their head,” said Gaskins Campbell.
Gaskins Campbell says as of Oct.7, 45 million dollars is in the hands of Louisiana residents through disaster grants.
“They’re not loans. They don’t have to be repaid. They are not taxable income and won’t even affect eligibility for, say, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, or any other federal assistance you may be receiving,” said Gaskins Campbell.
The only requirement is the money be used for recovery only. For Boveland, that’s all he was focused on.
“I need to get it done as soon as possible because I don’t have anywhere to go,” said Boveland.
Gaskins Campbell says the best way to get the application process started is to visit one of the recovery centers below:
St. James Parish
- Convent Community Center
- 5775 Hwy 44
- Convent, LA 70723
Additional DRCs are open at the following locations:
Ascension Parish
- Lemann Memorial Center
- 1100 Clay St.
- Donaldsonville, LA 70346
Lafourche Parish
- Lafourche Parish Emergency Operations Center
- 4876 Hwy. 1
- Raceland, LA 70394
St. Charles Parish
- Alan Arterbury Building
- 14564 River Road
- New Sarpy, LA 70078
St. John the Baptist Parish
- Reserve Library
- 1482 Hwy 44
- Reserve, LA 70084
St. Mary Parish
- Morgan City Municipal Auditorium
- 728 Myrtle St.
- Morgan City, LA 70380
Terrebonne Parish
- Terrebonne Parish Library
- 151 Library Drive
- Houma, LA 70360
Jefferson Parish
- Martin Luther King Community Resource Center
- 1042 31st St.
- Kenner, LA 70065
You can also apply online at www.disasterassistance.gov, through the official FEMA app, or by calling 1-800-621-336.
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