WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump amended the emergency declarations for Louisiana and Texas ahead of Hurricane Laura's landfall.

These efforts are intended to cover emergency protective response actions that state, local, and tribal officials take in the areas affected by Hurricanes Laura and Marco beginning Aug. 22, 2020.

The following Louisiana parishes are eligible for reimbursement for emergency protective measures (Category B):

- Acadia
- Allen
- Ascension
- Assumption
- Beauregard
- Calcasieu
- Cameron
- East Baton Rouge
- East Feliciana
- Evangeline
- Iberia
- Iberville
- Jefferson
- Jefferson Davis
- Lafayette
- Lafourche
- Livingston
- Orleans
- Plaquemines
- Pointe Coupee
- St. Bernard
- St. Charles
- St. Helena
- St. James
- St. John the Baptist
- St. Landry
- St. Martin
- St. Mary
- St. Tammany
- Tangipahoa
- Terrebonne
- Vermilion
- Washington
- West Baton Rouge
- West Feliciana

These parishes were previously limited to direct federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care, including evacuation and shelter support.

Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency on Friday, Aug. 21, and requested federal emergency declaration on Saturday, Aug. 22 ahead of the storm.

Hurricane Laura is expected to make landfall in southwest Louisiana late Wednesday through Thursday morning as a Category 3.

"The President's action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts, which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population," FEMA stated Tuesday in a news release.

FEMA says these efforts also provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to save lives, to protect property, public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe.