[StBernard] GOHSEP, FEMA assist Jefferson, Orleans with damage assessments

[Westley Annis]

GOHSEP, FEMA assist Jefferson, Orleans with damage assessments

NEW ORLEANS - In the wake of Tuesday's tornados, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco toured the damaged areas of the state, declared a state of emergency for Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Martin Parishes, and directed her Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to immediately begin Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) in coordination with local, parish and federal officials.

Today GOHSEP teams join their local, parish and federal partners from FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to continue PDA assessments in the Orleans and Jefferson areas. The PDA teams began their assessments Wednesday and will continue the work until the job is done, said Neal Fudge who leads the state effort.

"It is critical we gather the data as rapidly and accurately as possible," he said. "The sooner we finish the PDAs, the sooner FEMA can determine if these families will receive federal aid."

Yesterday, the PDA in St. Martin parish was completed, finding that of the 80 homes affected, 24 were totally destroyed. 

The process for assistance follows:

Step 1: All disaster requests start at the local level.

Following a major natural or man-made disaster, local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations, and other private interest groups work to provide immediate emergency assistance. Parish government declares a State of Emergency.


Step 2: The State responds to a request for assistance from local officials.

If the response needs are greater than local responders can handle, the governor declares a State of Emergency to invoke the state's emergency plan. Statewide resources including the National Guard and various state agencies can be added to the response efforts. 


Step 3: The Federal response.

If, after consulting with local officials, the Governor determines the recovery appears to be beyond the combined capabilities of the local and state resources, she may request federal assistance. Federal disaster response and recovery efforts are coordinated by FEMA.


Step 4: Preliminary Disaster Assessment (PDA)

The PDA teams for Louisiana are comprised of personnel from FEMA Region VI, state and local emergency management officials and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The teams review the types of damage and emergency costs incurred by the state and local governments as well as the impact to critical facilities, such as public utilities, hospitals, schools, and fire and police departments. The teams also assess the number of homes and businesses damaged, the number of people displaced, and the threat to health, safety and environment caused by the event. 


Step 5: The request for a declaration.

As set forth in the Stafford Act, the Governor may seek a presidential declaration by submitting a written request to the president through FEMA Region VI.

Using information gathered during the PDAs, the Governor certifies the combined local and state resources are insufficient and that the situation is beyond their recovery capabilities. Normally, the PDA is completed prior to the submission of the Governor's request. However, when an obviously severe or catastrophic event occurs, the Governor's request may be submitted prior to the PDA.

In addition, the Governor will need to certify that, for the current disaster, state and local government obligations and expenditures (of which state commitments must be a significant proportion) will comply with all applicable cost-sharing requirements.



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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org