June marks the beginning of campaign season in Louisiana, when federal officials tour the state and local officials visit with their constituents.
No, not a campaign for political office, a campaign for disaster preparedness.
The start of hurricane season brings the potential for disaster front-of-mind for residents across Baton Rouge, despite the city having the potential to face other natural disasters year round, said Clay Rives, the director of the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
The city-parish practices its disaster response with state and federal partners and encourages residents to be disaster ready during all “blue sky days.” But the start of hurricane season is the best time to drive home that message, Rives said.
Rives noted that it’s not a matter of if Baton Rouge will face another disaster, but when.
MOHSEP isn’t the only agency trying to get the word out.
Officials with the U.S. Small Business Administration are also touring southeast Louisiana to educate residents on recovery resources they will need if disaster does strike.
“We are a very valuable resource where most people are unaware of our resources,” SBA Public Information Officer Susheel Kumar said.
The two agencies are working in tandem to inform Baton Rouge residents about both phases of disaster preparedness.
You’ve probably heard the first phase before. Prepare for disaster by creating a supply kit with essentials like water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, portable chargers, batteries and other necessities. Residents should also have an evacuation plan in place and write down contact information for family members, Rives said.
“When something happens, you need to know what your options are,” Rives said.
But residents normally aren’t thinking about how to apply for disaster relief funds if their home, business or possessions are destroyed, Kumar said. The time immediately following a disaster can be crucial to starting off recovery on the right foot, and few people are in a position to sort through the bureaucracy of the federal government during that time, Kumar said.
That’s why he traveled to southeast Louisiana at the request of U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, to share information about the SBA’s resources with local governments and residents in the area.
The SBA distributed $1.3 billion in low-interest loans in Louisiana following Hurricane Ida, Kumar said. More than $17.2 million of that money went to residents in East Baton Rouge Parish, according to data provided by Kumar.
Victims of disasters are usually under the impression that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is the place to go for disaster recovery funds. In reality, just 0.14% of 816,000 applicants for assistance after Hurricane Ida received FEMA’s maximum grant, Kumar said.
“We want to correct the notion that FEMA is the be–all and end–all and will make you whole,” Kumar said.
FEMA’s grants are much smaller than the maximum amount the SBA can loan, and disaster victims need to meet a narrower set of circumstances to be eligible for them, Kumar said.
While residents are creating supply kits with essential items like food and water, they also need to think about protecting and packing documents crucial to applying for disaster assistance, like tax returns, recent utility bills and deeds, Kumar said.
“The capacity to retain that important information is probably more sound during blue skies than it would be during a disaster,” Kumar said.
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