FEMA Reinterment Assistance

FEMA disaster assistance may be available for reinterment efforts in Louisiana cemeteries, where floodwaters have dislodged or destroyed caskets, vaults, and mausoleums.

FEMA disaster assistance for reinterment of exposed human remains or dislodged burial vessels is available to individual survivors and cemeteries on a case-by-case basis. Factors that affect eligibility for assistance include where the cemeteries are located, who has legal responsibility for them, and who has legal ownership of them.

Information regarding reinterment assistance is available at the FEMA helpline,
800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice.

Private versus Public Cemeteries

When determining eligibility for FEMA reinterment assistance,

• Private refers to:
  • Cemeteries owned and operated by a private entity
  • Cemeteries owned and operated by a private nonprofit (PNP) entity
  • Cemeteries maintained by an individual or family on their own private property
• Public refers to:
  • Cemeteries owned and operated by a governmental entity
  • Abandoned private cemeteries for which a governmental entity has assumed full legal responsibility

FEMA Reinterment Assistance Regarding Private Cemeteries

• Reinterment costs may be eligible, regardless of the cemetery type, when those costs are the legal responsibility of an individual and not the cemetery
• Individuals or families who maintain a cemetery on their own private property may also be eligible for reinterment assistance through the Other Needs Assistance provision of FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program
• In order to be considered for reinterment assistance from FEMA, individuals or families must register with FEMA and provide the following documentation:
  • A signed statement from an authoritative medical official (e.g., a coroner or medical examiner) stating that the disinterment was a direct result of the flooding
  • Receipts or verifiable estimates for reinterment expenses that prove the cost for reinterment will fall upon the individuals being considered for assistance
  • Any applicable documentation of burial insurance or prior reinterment assistance from any voluntary or governmental agency
• Survivors can register with FEMA by going online with any computer, smartphone or tablet to DisasterAssistance.gov, calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362, or downloading the FEMA mobile app
• Individuals or families who receive reinterment assistance may be reimbursed for:
  • Transferring remains
  • Caskets, containers, vaults or urns that were damaged
  • Markers or headstones that were damaged
  • Necessary costs related to identifying remains
  • Necessary work at the gravesite to reinter remains
• Individuals or families who receive FEMA reinterment assistance are responsible for understanding and abiding by any applicable local, parish,or state laws or ordinances regarding human remains and their interment

FEMA Reinterment Assistance for Public Cemeteries

• Public cemeteries may be eligible for FEMA reinterment assistance through FEMA’s Public Assistance program
• In order to be considered for FEMA reinterment assistance through the Public Assistance program, the owner and/or operator of the public cemetery must apply via louisianapa.com
• Owners and/or operators of public cemeteries who receive FEMA reinterment assistance are responsible for understanding and abiding by any applicable local, parish, or state laws or ordinances regarding human remains and their interment

If You Are Ineligible for FEMA Reinterment Assistance

• If you are deemed ineligible for FEMA reinterment assistance, contact your local or parish government to determine if any other assistance programs are available

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