FEMA Aid Continues To Support Recovery Efforts Within Louisiana’s Higher Education Sector 

Release Date: July 11, 2012
Release Number: 1786 – 156

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NEW ORLEANS – The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced approximately $230,000 to the Louisiana Technical College, officially now named the Capital Area Technical College, for the replacement of contents damaged during Hurricane Gustav throughout their Iberville Parish Westside Campus.

LTC is a public, state technical college with campuses throughout Louisiana. During Hurricane Gustav, LTC’s Region 2 Westside Campus, located at 59126 Bayou Road in Plaquemine, was significantly impacted. The storm’s strong winds damaged the roof of the Main Manual Arts and Multipurpose Classroom Buildings, letting rain enter the buildings and inundate their contents.

In total, FEMA has provided approximately $515,000 for all Gustav-related damages at LTC’s Westside Campus, with the agency’s recent grant of nearly a quarter of a million dollars given for content replacements. Contents damaged by the roof leakages include computers, servers, wireless network adapters and routers, copiers, shredders, video projectors and projector screens.

“This improved project grant supports LTC’s recovery needs at their Westside Campus by providing a simplified funding solution. The college is now able to replace items across general categories versus replacing damaged items individually,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Deputy Director of Programs Andre Cadogan.

As requested by LTC, FEMA’s latest aid will fund contents under the following four major categories—furnishings, office equipment and supplies, information technology and educational equipment.

“Capital Area Technical College Westside is a public, nonprofit state college that serves students in Iberville and surrounding parishes. In the state’s current economic climate, it would have been extremely challenging to fully recover the losses from Hurricane Gustav. The students, faculty and staff are very grateful that FEMA is covering the damages incurred at the Westside Campus,” said Dr. Kay McDaniel, director of Capital Area Technical College.

To date, FEMA has obligated approximately $15.3 million overall in public assistance funding for recovery efforts at all of LTC’s campuses throughout Louisiana, including those related to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in addition to the mentioned Hurricane Gustav efforts.

When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are made available to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, who disburses them to the applicant for eligible work completed.

The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 11-Jul-2012 10:48:15