BATON ROUGE – FEMA issued a press release Wednesday, stating that homeowners and renters in Acadia, Ouachita and Vermilion parishes may now apply for federal disaster assistance for uninsured and underinsured damage and losses resulting from Hurricane Laura.

To be eligible for federal disaster aid, storm damage and losses from the hurricane and flooding must have occurred as a result of Hurricane Laura from Aug. 22 to Aug. 27, 2020.

Six parishes were previously included in the federal declaration to help homeowners and renters. They are Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis and Vernon.

Those who have homeowner’s or flood insurance policy must file their insurance claim immediately before applying for disaster assistance.

Register by:

• Going online atDisasterAssistance.gov
• Downloading the FEMA app
• Calling 800-621-3362 (FEMA) or TTY 800-462-7585. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362.The toll-free telephone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

FEMA advises not to wait to begin cleanup and repairs. Instead, take photos of all damage and save all receipts.

It should also be noted that FEMA assistance alone cannot make survivors whole. FEMA’s disaster assistance programs are designed to help with grants for basic repairs to make survivors’ homes safe, sanitary and secure and to provide a temporary place to live while survivors develop their recovery plans.

Long-term, low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration also may be available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

FEMA is unable to duplicate insurance payments. However, disaster survivors without insurance or who are underinsured may still receive help after insurance claims have been settled.

For more information on recovery efforts for Hurricane Laura, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4559.

We're doing virtual inspections following #Laura to protect disaster survivors and our employees from COVID-19. If you're eligible for assistance, our staff will call you to ask questions about your damaged home.

Learn more about the process: https://t.co/pIY5pci8dh pic.twitter.com/0d9Wablq8F

— FEMA (@fema) September 1, 2020