Biden Declares 'Major Disaster' After Hurricane Ida Batters Louisiana

President Biden declared a major disaster after Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday, the 16^th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The declaration opens federal aid up for state, local, and tribal response efforts.

NEWS: @POTUS has approved a major disaster declaration for the State of Louisiana, making more critical federal assistance available as #Hurricane #Ida bears down >>> pic.twitter.com/XOhyLeYkVs
— Ike Hajinazarian (@ikehaji46) August 30, 2021

More than a million people in the state lost power after the storm struck as a Category 4 with 150 mph winds and “life threatening” floods.

Thanks to the hard work of @FEMA, we’ve pre-positioned resources, equipment, and response teams to respond to Hurricane Ida. That includes more than 2,400 FEMA employees, millions of meals and liters of water, generators, search and rescue teams, and over 100 ambulances. pic.twitter.com/oPNBSj4hVS
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 30, 2021

On Monday, Ida weakened to a tropical storm as it headed to Mississippi, with winds around 45 mph.

The full disaster declaration is below:

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Ida beginning on August 26, 2021, and continuing.
The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Federal funding also is available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal in the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana and emergency protective measures statewide. For a period of 30 days from the start of the incident period, assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, is authorized at 100 percent of the total eligible costs.
Lastly, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named John E. Long as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more parishes and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated parishes can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.