BATON ROUGE - FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a Friday morning reminder that October 15 is the last day Hurricane Ida survivors have to apply for Operation Blue Roof.

USACE aims to provide homeowners in disaster areas with fiber-reinforced sheeting to cover their damaged roofs until permanent repairs are made through the Operation Blue Roof program.

This program is a free service to homeowners and protects property, reduces temporary housing costs, and allows residents to remain in their homes while recovering from a storm. 

The window to apply closes at 11:59 p.m., Friday.

The program is for primary residences or a permanently occupied rental property with less than 50 percent structural damage. Vacation rental properties are not eligible for this program. Flat roofs or roofs made of clay, slate or asbestos tile do not qualify. All storm debris must be removed for the roof to qualify.

Homeowners can visit Blueroof.us to apply. Here, homeowners can sign up for Blue Roof assistance using a Right of Entry form, which gathers information about your residence.

The ROE form is a legal document that allows USACE workers to access your property and assess your home's damage.

The ROE also allows contracted crews to work on your roof. To cancel your ROE, residents must send an email to roe-cancel@usace.army.mil, call 888-Roof BLU (888-766-3258) or visit Blueroof.us

Residents can call toll free 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258) for more information regarding this program.