State to appeal denial of federal disaster aid for Ascension, St. James tornado victims – The Advocate

The state plans to appeal the decision to exclude Ascension and St. James parishes from a federal disaster declaration that left residents there ineligible to receive federal assistance for their losses during the Feb. 7 tornadoes.

"We're in the process of trying to appeal that," said Mike Steele, communications director for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

The state has 30 days to file the appeal, Steele said Friday.

"Our people will be reaching out to the parishes for more information," he said.

President Donald Trump on Feb. 11 approved a disaster declaration for individual assistance for Orleans and Livingston parishes. The declaration allows residents in those parishes who suffered losses to apply for financial assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The state on Friday also resubmitted its request for a disaster declaration for another form of federal assistance, public assistance, for Orleans, Livingston, Ascension, St. James and Jefferson parishes, Steele said.

Public assistance provides reimbursement to state and local governments for a portion of the cost of such work as debris removal, repairing damaged buildings and roads following a disaster.

The state has not yet received word on its initial request for public assistance, Steele said.

The state, however, resubmitted its request for public assistance "to stress the importance of getting the declaration on that," he said.

President Donald Trump on Saturday approved a federal disaster declaration for Orleans and L

A large twister with estimated wind speeds of about 140 mph that injured 33 people in New Orleans East and damaged some 300 properties was one of six tornadoes that touched down Feb. 7 in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas.

In Livingston Parish, two people were seriously injured when a tornado struck their home in Killian. Elsewhere in the parish, homes were damaged in Watson where four people were injured.

In Ascension Parish, a tornado touched down southwest of Donaldsonville, then traveled northeast across the city with most of its destruction centered along St. Patrick Street, near the city's historic district. One injury was reported in the downtown area while three injuries were reported elsewhere in the parish.

CF Industries received some damage and a veterinarian clinic near the plant was badly damaged.

In St. James Parish, some 25 to 30 homes were damaged, some severely. Two injuries were reported there.

Donaldsonville Mayor Leroy Sullivan said he was disappointed when he learned that Ascension Parish had not been included in the federal disaster declaration for individual assistance.

"It was devastating," Sullivan said of hearing the news. "You have people who have lost their homes or have homes that were heavily damaged."

In order for residents to receive assistance, a household must be within a presidentially declared disaster area.

Ascension and St. James parish officials did not seem optimistic Friday that federal individual or public assistance would be forthcoming.

Criteria to receive a disaster declaration for the individual assistance program are subjective, according to the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

A declaration request must show that an effective response to a disaster is beyond the capacity of the state and local government and that a significant number, historically more than 75, uninsured primary homes received major damage or were destroyed, according to GOHSEP literature.

To receive a presidential declaration for public assistance, a parish must meet a threshold in damage of $3.57 per resident.

Sullivan said that by using the 2010 census count for Ascension Parish of approximately 107,000 people, he calculated the required dollar amount of damage needed for the parish to be eligible for public assistance would be approximately $387,000.

St. James Parish President Timmy Roussel said Friday that his parish would need about $80,000 in damage to be eligible for public assistance.

The parish government has spent approximately $20,000 on work after the tornado doing such jobs as removing debris and trimming trees, Roussel said.

In Ascension Parish, Rick Webre, director of the parish's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said the parish has spent $30,000 in cleanup so far.

"I'm not confident that Ascension Parish will achieve the individual assistance or public assistance threshold," he said.

Follow Ellyn Couvillion on Twitter, @EllynCouvillion.

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State to appeal denial of federal disaster aid for Ascension, St. James tornado victims - The Advocate