Disaster Resources

This information was last updated Saturday, August 1, 2020 @ 1:00 P.M. 

THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS (GOHSEP) 

• Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guides

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 

• General Information on Emergency Preparedness
• Parish Emergency Preparedness Numbers
• Flood Related Information & Resources

FOR THOSE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES:

• Information for Families with Children with Special Health Care Needs
• Families Helping Families Resource Centers are located in every region of the state to provide individuals with developmental disabilities and their family members with information, referrals, and peer support.
• Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities in Louisiana
• Louisiana Guide to Supports & Services for Individuals with Disabilities, Elders and Their Families Affected by Disasters
• Louisiana’s Emergency Management Disability & Aging Coalition (EMDAC)

FEMA DAMAGE CLAIMS

Louisiana disaster survivors are urged to register for federal disaster assistance with FEMA. When you have completed the FEMA registration, you will be assigned a FEMA registration number. This will be a 9-digit number that will start with 50 or 45. If you have flood insurance, you must also file a flood insurance claim with your insurance company.  Individuals and business owners in the designated parishes who had storm or flood damage should register for “Individual Assistance” with FEMA in the following ways:

• Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov 
• By phone at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).  People who use TTY may call (800) 462-7585, those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS) may call (800) 621-3362.

ADDITIONAL FEMA ASSISTANCE DETAILS HERE.

• FEMA Housing Frequently Asked Questions
• How to document damage for a FEMA claim

If you were displaced in the storm, have registered with FEMA, and are living in one of these four categories of places after the storm, you are eligible for help from the Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) program:

• Living in a car
• Living in a hotel/motel
• Living in a mass shelter
• Living at your place of employment

Survivors may locate centers near them at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. Survivors may register at any open DRC, even out of state.

HOW TO FIND PEOPLE

• To find out if your loved one is in a state-run shelter:  225-219-5452
• To find out if your loved one is in a Red Cross shelter:  1-866-438-4636
• Ochsner has established a hotline for family members needing information on the new location of a patient. Family can call 504-842-3198 and will need to provide a patient’s date of birth to receive information about their condition and location. If the patient has not yet been moved, they will receive condition and an update on the intended location and potential arrival time.

HOW TO FIND PETS

LostPetsLouisiana.com is a website intended to help reunite displaced pet owners with their pets.

• Baton Rouge Animal Shelter Allies – https://www.facebook.com/BRShelterAnimalAllies or http://www.caabr.org or 2680 Progress Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70807 / (225) 774-7701
• The following facebook pages may also assist in locating lost pets
  • Ascension Parish https://www.facebook.com/lostpetofsascensionparish 
  • Baton Rouge https://www.facebook.com/lostpetsbatonrouge/posts/963929120292721 
  • Central City https://www.facebook.com/LostPetsOfCentralLa/?fref=ts
  • Southeast Louisiana https://www.facebook.com/Lost-and-Found-Pets-of-Southeast-Louisiana-126929750758058/
  • Zachary and the Felicianas https://www.facebook.com/lostpetsofzacharyla/?fref=ts

FOOD / WATER / SUPPLIES

DSNAP:  DSNAP provides eligible households – who do not currently receive SNAP benefits – with help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster. Residents can pre-register online at  www.dcfs.la.gov/preregister or by phone at 1- 888-LAHELP-U (888-524-3578). If you already receive SNAP benefits and live in a parish where DSNAP is activated, you may automatically have supplemental SNAP benefits added to your EBT cards. You DO NOT need to pre-register or apply for DSNAP. Please do not visit a DSNAP location! If you have pre-registered for DSNAP at any time or already received DSNAP, you DO NOT need to pre-register again.

• Click here for more information
• For a database of statewide food banks, click here.

HOW TO VOLUNTEER

Those interested in volunteering or making donations to assist flood victims can find information at http://volunteerlouisiana.gov 

Volunteers may also sign up at thecajunarmy.com.