PRESS RELEASE As Power Returns, Need for Hotel/Motel Program Declines Since Gustav’s passing, Entergy has been working around the clock with great success at restoring power to residents of Louisiana more quickly than expected. Many evacuees initially declared eligible for the FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance for Displaced – the hotel/motel program – on the assumption they would lack power for 14 days, now have power and are no longer in critical need of hotel housing. Evacuees are encouraged to return home as soon as their power is on. Fifty percent of the hotels in the affected parishes are damaged and closed for repairs and there still are many residents with special needs, such as the elderly or those with chronic medical challenges, who need shelter in hotels or motels. “FEMA and parish communities are working hard to meet this need,” said Mike Hall, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer for this disaster. “We hope residents whose electricity has been restored will help us free up rooms for those who have no other place to go.” All residents in designated parishes affected by the storm are encouraged to register with FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) (TTY 1-800-462-7585) or online at www.fema.gov. New strategies are in place to identify those homes that continue to be without power, and are expected to have no power for the minimum requirement of 14 days. For people in that situation there are three steps to follow.
For more information on the Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://www.emergency.louisiana.gov/. ### FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
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