Louisiana parishes, cities and various departments of state government have already been approved for than $700 million in federal public assistance for expenses responding to Hurricane Katrina, and officials expect that amount to grow exponentially in the years to come.
Mark Smith, a spokesman for the state Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said Sunday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has received reimbursement requests from dozens of parishes and municipalities across the state, and expects all 64 parishes to make requests in the future. He said the amount of public assistance sought will be several billion dollars.
Eight parishes, municipalities and state departments have already received about $218 million in reimbursements, and the remaining approved money should distributed soon, Smith said. He said the federal government has streamlined the reimbursement process, and federal funds are typically distributed a week after local governments submit their requests. Smith said federal officials understand that many local governments do not have the ability to collect taxes, which would severely limit their ability to provide essential services without federal help.
“Everything’s been expedited to the max,” Smith said.
Smith said the funds are used by local and state governments to pay for any Katrina-related expenses that were accrued after the state was declared a disaster area. Those expenses can range from repairs to existing infrastructure, to road clearing and public service restorations costs. In addition, overtime pay for local employees and law enforcement officers will also be covered by FEMA, Smith said.
Follow is a breakdown of the allocation of funds as of Sept. 18:
- New Orleans: $102,837,450
- Louisiana Office of Homeland Security: $70,386,000
- St. Bernard: $31,601,040
- Plaquemine Parish: $4,354,000
- Lafourche Parish: $6,669,000
- Louisiana Department of Transportation: $1,180,075
- Louisiana Department of Public Safety: $348,030
- St. Tammany Parish: $323,609
By Allen Powell II
River Parishes Bureau
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