Honorable George W. Bush, President
The White House
Washington, D.C.
Through:
Regional Director
FEMA Region VI
800 North Loop 288
Denton, TX 76209-3698
Reference: Request for Additional Programs and Add-on of Parishes
Dear President Bush,
Pursuant to my request for emergency declarations as a result of the impact of Hurricane Gustav on the State of Louisiana, you responded by granting an emergency presidential declaration for debris removal (Category A) and emergency protective measures (Category B), including Direct Federal Assistance under the Public Assistance Program and for Individual Assistance. The prior declaration applications requested that all 64 parishes of the State be included in any presidential declarations issued by you. Category B assistance was granted to all 64 parishes as requested.
In my application for a major disaster, I requested Category A assistance for all 64 parishes and Individual Assistance for 54 parishes. In response, 34 parishes were granted both Category A and Individual Assistance. I want to express my appreciation for your response to my request. However, I respectfully request that you reconsider your declaration and include all 64 parishes for Category A assistance and for Individual Assistance. Additionally, I am requesting Category B and Direct Federal Assistance under a Presidential Declaration for all 64 parishes.
I provide the following justification for this request:
- The State Emergency Operations Center is receiving damage reports from those excluded parishes which clearly indicate that those parishes are experiencing the need for emergency measures;
- Hurricane Gustav continues to generate extensive rain, flooding and debris throughout the parishes that were excluded from the declaration;
- The parishes of St. Tammany, Washington, Tangipahoa, St. Helena and Calcasieu, which were included in my original request but were excluded from the declaration, were evacuated under a mandatory evacuation order. These parishes are still experiencing power outages and are in need of Individual Assistance and debris removal;
- When making the application for Individual Assistance, in coordination with FEMA, I utilized FEMA’s “Hurrevac Model” to determine which parishes were impacted by tropical storm winds. Based on that analysis, my request did not include 10 northwestern parishes because they had not yet experienced at least tropical storm force winds.
The parishes excluded from my initial application have since experienced disaster conditions in the form of heavy rains, flooding and tropical force winds. I respectfully request that these parishes be included in the declaration for Category A and Individual Assistance.
I certify that for this major disaster, the State and local governments will assume all applicable non-federal share of costs required by the Stafford Act.
The State continues to provide resources as I outlined in my application for an Individual Assistance Presidential Declaration.
I request direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives and protect property. I request that you issue a major disaster Presidential Declaration for emergency protective measures Category B assistance.
In accordance with 44 CFR § 206.208, the State of Louisiana agrees that it will, with respect to direct Federal assistance:
- Provide without cost to the United States all lands, easements and rights-of-way necessary to accomplish the approved work;
- Hold and save the United States free from damages due to the request work, and shall indemnify the Federal Government against any claims arising from such work;
- Provide reimbursement to FEMA for the non-Federal share of the cost of such work in accordance with the provisions of the FEMA-State Agreement; and
- Assist the performing Federal agency in all support and local jurisdictional matters.
Pursuant to Sections 403 and 407 of the Stafford Act, 42 USC Sections 5170b and 5173, the State agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States of America for any claims arising from the removal of debris or wreckage for this disaster. The State agrees that debris removal from private property will not occur until the landowner signs an unconditional authorization for the removal of debris.
Sincerely,
Bobby Jindal
Governor
