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FEMA ADVISORY
Tropical Depression Laura
The storm’s impact stretches from the coastal areas that took the full brunt of Laura’s winds and storm surge at landfall, to areas further inland that are experiencing heavy rainfall and flash flooding.
- Initial impact assessments and search and rescue operations are continuing along the Gulf Coast.
- Disaster Survivor Assistance representatives are on the ground, coordinating with state and local partners.
- FEMA Public Assistance experts are coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on debris removal and roofing repair estimates.
- There have been three reported fatalities in Louisiana at this time. Extensive pre-storm evacuations and sheltering operations were crucial to reducing risk to life.
- More than 600,000 customers are without power in Louisiana and another 180,000 customers are without power in Texas.
- 20 medical facilities operating on generator power and experiencing water issues. Power and water are priorities.
- Over 16,000 utility personnel from at least 26 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada have been mobilized to support restoration efforts.
- FEMA has 113 generators staged in Louisiana and Texas if requested, and another 314 generators available in our distribution centers.
- In Louisiana, 96,605 customers are under a boil-water order, and 213,000 customers are without water.
- Laura caused widespread and extensive wind-related damage; trees and power lines are down, many homes and businesses are damaged.
- There is flooding in areas in the southern areas of the state, water supply issues (some due to power loss, some due to damaged infrastructure). There is limited access to survivors in several communities.
- Extensive damage is reported to almost every building/business in Calcasieu Parish (southwest Louisiana).
- Beauregard Parish to the north also reported catastrophic damage with crippled infrastructure.
- Multiple residential and commercial structures were damaged in Allen Parish with limited access to survivors in at least 3 towns.
- Laura is now tropical depression but continues to have impacts. Arkansas had heavy rain overnight, and we will see rain move into the mid-Mississippi Valley today and the mid-Atlantic states Saturday, which could lead to some river flooding.
- There is a risk of flash flooding across portions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas through Friday evening.
- The forecast also indicates the risk of tornadoes could redevelop later this afternoon into the evening across parts of the Mid-South and Tennessee Valley regions.
Even with the storm weakening, we still need everyone to stay focused on safety.
- Residents impacted by Laura should continue to follow guidance from officials in their area.
- If you have been evacuated, do not return until local officials tell you it is safe to do so. If you have been ordered to shelter in place, please do so until advised it is safe.
- Don’t drive or walk through flood waters. Be aware of downed power lines, standing water, and other hidden hazards.
- Stay off roads so that emergency workers are able to get through.
- Use extreme caution when operating heavy machinery, generators, or removing debris. Do not use generators indoors.
- Response is a whole community effort; if it’s safe to do so, check on your neighbors. You may be the help they need right now.
- Texas residents should visit gov.texas.gov/hurricane which includes evacuation orders, reception center locations, and other emergency resources.
- Louisiana and Arkansas residents should call 2-1-1 for to access available resources.
Federal personnel and supplies were pre-positioned before the storm hit and we continue to move resources into the area to meet requests from state and local authorities.
- President Trump approved emergency declarations for Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, to cover emergency protective response actions taken by state, local and tribal officials.
- FEMA has nearly 750 personnel deployed to support the response and recovery, including seven Regional Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs) and National IMATs deployed to Louisiana and Texas.
- As of 6 AM today, six Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) teams have deployed to Texas (2) and Louisiana (4). A Federal Search and Rescue Coordination Group has been activated, and a US&R Incident Support Team is in Louisiana to coordinate with the state.
- Mobile disaster communications equipment is in Louisiana and Texas, supporting staging and command and control operations. Additional equipment and personnel have been deployed to Baton Rouge and Fort Worth.
- Two Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT), four Patient Assessment and Tracking Systems teams and two Aerial Evacuation teams are deploying to Dallas, Texas.
- FEMA deployed staging management teams to Camp Beauregard and Roseland, Louisiana, and pre-positioned more than 500,000 meals and 800,000 liters of water ahead of landfall. Additionally, FEMA placed more than 3 million meals and 790,000 liters of water on standby at its distribution center in Fort Worth, Texas.
- Blue roof sheeting, infant toddler kits and generators are also pre-positioned at Camp Beauregard.
- Additional commodities including meals, water, infant and toddler kits and generators are en route to the region.
- A National Incident Support Base Team is in Selma, Alabama, to support staging commodity missions.
Our federal response partners are fully engaged in supporting our state, local and tribal partners.
- Disaster response works best when it is locally executed, state managed and federally supported. In addition, mutual aid between states supports response operations.
- The American Red Cross has mobilized more than 800 trained disaster workers to support relief efforts in the Gulf Coast. As of Wednesday night, more than 10,000 people were sheltered in emergency lodging including hotels in some circumstances.
- Temporary roofing planning and response teams are in Louisiana and Texas.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Temporary Emergency Power Teams, an Advanced Contract Initiative contractor, 249th Prime Power Battalion personnel and debris subject matter experts are in Texas and Louisiana.
- USACE is providing flood fight support with technical assistance to the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West using the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System. Additionally, USACE is implementing response plans for dam safety teams, deploying a sand bagging machine and operators to Hancock County, Mississippi and issuing sandbags and sandbagging machines for areas in Louisiana and Texas.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Disaster Medical Assistance Team is in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. An additional medical team and equipment is being deployed.
- U.S. Coast Guard pre-positioned assets including rotary and fixed wing aircrafts, shallow watercrafts and supporting units in Alabama and Louisiana.
- Additional personnel from across the federal government, including the Department of Defense, Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy are deployed and available to provide support.
- FEMA is in communication with state insurance commissioners, the Write Your Own companies, and NFIP direct. We are preparing to assess and respond to flood damage.
We are working closely with our state, territorial, tribal and local partners to make sure we are considering impacts from COVID-19 in evacuation planning as well as response and recovery actions.
- Before hurricane season began, we shared Pandemic Operational Guidance, with our state, local, tribal and territorial partners and have been working closely with our partners.
- FEMA, other federal agencies, and the American Red Cross have modified policies and planning and have taken actions to ensure the federal government can respond to any disaster during our continued coronavirus response efforts.
- FEMA expanded the capacity of its National Response Coordination Center, response centers around the country, and trained additional staff to be postured to respond to multiple on-going incidents.
- To address COVID-19 sheltering needs, this year FEMA will now include reimbursement of costs to state and local governments for non-congregate emergency sheltering, such as hotel rooms.
- FEMA is also using technology to do virtual damage assessments and inspections in order to provide assistance while protecting health.
- COVID-19 response funding has strengthened emergency preparedness for all threatened regions and will support safe response in a COVID-19 environment.
- While some aspects of program delivery may look different this year, our commitment to helping people before, during and after disaster remains our full focus and we are ready to deliver on our mission.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please contact FEMA Office of External Affairs:
Follow Us
Follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on Twitter, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel.
Also, follow Administrator Pete Gaynor on Twitter @FEMA_Pete.
FEMA Mission
Helping people before, during, and after disasters.
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FEMA ADVISORY
Coronavirus Pandemic Whole-of-America Response “By the Numbers” Update
Attached is the third of three “By the Numbers” updates, this week, for the Whole-of-America coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic response underway. This “By the Numbers” update relates to Medical Supplies and Equipment; Testing; Federal Funding; and Additional Federal Support as well as funding for the Lost Wages Grant program by state.
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding this FEMA Advisory, please contact FEMA Office of External Affairs, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Division:
Follow Us
Follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on Twitter, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel.
Also, follow Administrator Pete Gaynor on Twitter @FEMA_Pete.
FEMA Mission
Helping people before, during, and after disasters.
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