FEMA Awards Nearly $1.3 Million to Louisiana Department of Public Safety

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has obligated nearly $1.3 million to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety to help cover some of its costs for responding to the emergency needs of Louisianians before, during and after Hurricane Isaac.

“This Public Assistance grant demonstrates FEMA’s efforts to help communities get back to normal following Hurricane Isaac,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. 

FEMA reimbursed the Louisiana Department of Public Safety $1,295,319 to pay for overtime expenses associated with patrolling the roadways, working food stamp distribution centers, staffing call centers and traffic control centers, and performing other emergency protective support functions.

The obligated funds are a portion of the nearly $46.7 million in total Public Assistance disaster funds obligated to the state so far as a result of Hurricane Isaac.

Supplementary funding under the PA program goes to the state and its agencies, local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations. Under the program, FEMA obligates funds to the state for 75 percent of eligible costs, while the applicant covers the remaining 25 percent. The state forwards the federal funds to the eligible local governments or organizations that incurred costs.

In all, current federal disaster declaration designates a total of 55 parishes as eligible to apply for some level of FEMA Public Assistance.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.