The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today that its debris removal mission in Cameron Parish, established in response to Hurricane Ike, has been completed.
During the course of the mission, the Corps removed approximately 44,817 cubic yards of storm-related debris.
Under the umbrella of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or Corps of Engineers removed authorized debris along the public right-of-ways of local parish roads. Disposal efforts associated with this cleanup were coordinated with Cameron Parish officials, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency, among others.
In accordance with the National Response Framework, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers serves as emergency support function 3 (ESF3), which is public works and engineering. The agency’s response capabilities following a disaster can include providing emergency power, water, ice, technical assistance, debris removal, temporary roofing and temporary housing. Its purpose in accomplishing these missions is to facilitate a rapid recovery from natural disasters.
Road Home
Latest Program Statistics
As of November 17, 2008
Total applications recorded:
185,106 (final)
Initial appointments held:
166,093 (final)
Eligible applicants:
155,406
Benefit options selected:
143,648
Option 1 - 125,915
Option 2 - 10,192
Option 3 - 2,919
Declined benefits - 2,481
Delayed benefit selection - 2,023
Completed applications:
136,646
Closed - 119,866
No Funding/zero awards - 14,299
Declined awards - 2,481
Total amount of awards disbursed:
$7.4 billion*
Average award disbursed:
$61,527*
* These numbers are reported as of November 13, 2008.
FEMA, Housing Solutions
United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., and U.S. Representative Charles Boustany, R-La., yesterday wrote to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator R. David Paulison praising the progress the agency’s made in finding ways to move forward on housing solutions in Cameron Parish. The letter follows a meeting the group had yesterday – along with Ernie Broussard, head of Planning and Development for the Parish – regarding the obstacles facing Cameron Parish in their recovery from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
The members of Congress also asked FEMA to give a report in two weeks on the progress of implementing the proposed solutions and reiterated concerns regarding an Executive Order that prohibits many residents from setting up temporary mobile homes on their property, forcing them to live in tents instead.
“Local officials’ efforts to house storm victims in mobile homes offered through FEMA’s Individual and Households Program’s direct assistance grants have been stymied by Executive Order 11-9-88,” the letter reads. “This Executive Order prohibits the federal government from spending money to completely rebuild a severely damaged facility or to set up temporary mobile homes in an area determined by the federal government to be a ‘high velocity flood zone’ (V-Zone), or an area that faces significant risk in the event of a flood. This Executive Order has had the impact of forcing some families to live in tents on their property in order to live closer to their jobs.”
Sen. Landrieu and Rep. Boustany have requested that FEMA go back to using flood maps created in 2005, which only place 30 percent of Cameron Parish in the V-Zone, the area in which mobile homes are prohibited by FEMA. On the contrary, recently updated maps — which have been proposed but not approved by local governments — have placed 83 percent of Cameron Parish in the V-Zone. Sen. Landrieu and Rep. Boustany have requested that the 2005 maps be used until the newer maps have been approved, which would have the effect of allowing many more residents of Cameron Parish to set up mobile homes on their property in place of tents.
Currently, the Executive Order prohibits FEMA from a shift back to the old maps. Sen. Landrieu and Rep. Boustany will separately encourage the Administration to be flexible with respect to the Executive Order.
In terms of specific progress that has been made, Administrator Paulison indicated that FEMA has located as many as 128 commercial sites outside the V-Zone to house eligible applicants for housing assistance. While the sites may be as far as 30 miles away in some cases, FEMA will cover the transportation costs for applicants who are housed at these sites but need to get to the coast, where they are employed. FEMA is also trying to locate additional “pads” where more mobile “community sites” can be built, and directing area FEMA officials to do site-by-site analysis to determine whether individual sites, because of different ground elevation and other factors, may actually be outside the V-Zone. In that case, they would be eligible for temporary housing assistance and rebuilding.
Repairs to the Cameron School Board Office were also discussed at the meeting. FEMA has allocated $1,383,661.07 to the Cameron School Board Office for the construction of a temporary school and associated parking, driveway and sidewalk facilities. The school board office will purchase modular trailers for classrooms, restrooms, a kitchen, cafeteria, and refrigeration. FEMA will give another $1,656,485.83 to the Cameron School Board Office to lease 43,400 square feet of temporary classroom trailers that contain 46 classrooms, eight bathrooms 1,536 square feet of cafeteria trailers and 1,536 square feet of kitchen trailers complete with utilities and amenities required to support a temporary school facility.
A full copy of the letter to Administrator Paulison is available here.
Bond Rating
Criminal Sheriff of New Orleans, Marlin Gusman, announced yesterday that the Law Enforcement District of the Parish of Orleans had been assigned a “BBB” rating by Standard & Poor’s in conjunction with the LED’s general obligation bonds approved by the voters at the October 4, 2008, election. This rating represents a three step upgrade from the prior bond rating and is an investment grade rating.
The Law Enforcement District received sealed bids today for the first series of bonds approved by the voters at the October 4th election. The Law Enforcement District awarded the bonds to the low bidder, Iberia Bank, at an interest rate of 3.87 percent.
C. Grant Schlueter of Foley & Judell, L.L.P., Bond Counsel to the Law Enforcement District, indicated that the successful bond sale was a result of the upgrade in the bond rating to a solid investment grade level. This in turn resulted in a lower interest rate and savings to taxpayers.
