From the Times-Picayune, Tues., Aug. 23, 2005:
Hurry up, and wait.
In the month after Tropical Storm Cindy blew into southeast Louisiana, state and local governments in five parishes scrambled to document more than $5 million in losses to public agencies -- most of it the cost of handling mountains of tree debris.
The documentation was used to corroborate Gov. Kathleen Blanco's July 27 request for a presidential disaster declaration, which would send disaster recovery money into Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Charles, Plaquemines and Lafourche parishes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
But as of Monday, almost one month after Blanco's request, no declaration has been issued, and no one seems to know why, including Arthur Jones, Blanco's liaison with FEMA.
"I've been in this business for many years, and I've never seen a situation quite like this," said Jones, disaster recovery division chief for the state Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
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full story: http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1124779014195050.xml
Also in the article:
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"We're in the middle of hurricane season, and everyone's anxious to get the job done and move on," he said.
Jones said securing FEMA money would become more difficult if the area were to be affected by another tropical storm before Cindy's costs are addressed.
"When you have overlapping damages, you have problems," he said.
When, and if, the declaration comes, it will provide help for public bodies only. There will be no FEMA assistance this go-round for private citizens.
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