US - Louisiana floods: More Than 20,000 Rescued, 13 Dead From Catastrophic Louisiana Floods; Federal Emergency Declared - August 2016

[sharon sanders]

[h=1]More Than 20,000 Rescued, 6 Dead From Catastrophic Louisiana Floods; Federal Emergency Declared[/h]
More than 20,000 Louisiana residents have been rescued from their homes, and 12,000 are currently in shelters in the wake of historic, devastating flash flooding that led President Obama on Sunday evening to declare a federal emergency in the state, authorities said. At least 6 people have died in the disaster.

more..

http://abcnews.go.com/US/20000-resc...-federal-emergency-declared/story?id=41390646

 

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[FONT=&quot]Major Disaster Declared for the State of Louisiana[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]August 14, 2016[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards today announced that the federal government declared a major disaster for the state of Louisiana. Following a tour of several parishes with a FEMA official, Gov. Edwards requested that President Barack Obama make the declaration. The initial federal declaration is for the following parishes: Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston. Additional parish declarations will be made as further damage assessments are conducted.

“I have traveled to affected areas and have seen the destruction caused by this unprecedented flooding,” said Gov. Edwards. “We are thankful for the federal government’s quick response to our request for an emergency declaration. This is an ongoing event, and we are confident that every available state and federal resource will be brought to bear. I fully expect that more parishes will be added to the declaration on a rolling basis.”

On Friday, August 12, Gov. Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Louisiana. Gov. Edwards made the request to President Obama on Sunday, August 14. Additional parishes are expected to be added on a rolling basis.

Anyone who has been impacted by this storm should register damages sustained, even if they do not live in these four initial parishes. All registered damage claims in parishes added at a later time will be processed as those parishes are added.
Individuals can register damage on the web or by phone as follows :[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]https://www.disasterassistance.gov[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]1-800-621-3362[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]TTY: 1-800-462-7585[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Federal Declarations and Types of Assistance available for the following four parishes Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston:

INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE - (Assistance to individuals and households)
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE - (Assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities)
HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM - (Assistance for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards)

http://gov.louisiana.gov/news/major-...isiana-8-14-16[/FONT]

 

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[FONT=&quot] [h=1]An Update from the Governor on Louisiana's Flooding Disaster[/h]

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[FONT=&quot] August 15, 2016

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[FONT=&quot] My fellow Louisianans ?
Our state is currently experiencing a historic flooding event that is breaking every record.
This event is ongoing, it is not over. Even if the sun has come out in your area, we do not know when the floodwaters will recede, and they will continue to rise in some areas.
As we continue to respond to this disaster, keep in mind:

• This is not the time to let our guards down. We need to keep people off the streets as much as possible ? do not go out sightseeing.
• If you need to be evacuated from your location and are unable to get out on your own, call 911 or your local law enforcement.
• If you have evacuated and need a place to go, check this list of shelters to find one near you. The list is updated as soon as new information is received and confirmed.
• If you need help being connected to resources, you can call the governor?s office at (225) 342-7015.
• Follow the governor's office on Facebook and Twitter for updated information as it's available.

We are doing our best to get as much information as possible out to the citizens of our state. Your safety is our #1 priority.
Many of you are wondering about federal aid and FEMA. FEMA is on the ground and ready to assist if all state resources are exhausted. As of yesterday, there is a federal disaster declaration for the following parishes:

• East Baton Rouge
• Livingston
• St. Helena
• Tangipahoa

The request I made to the federal government included all parishes affected by the flooding, and I fully expect more parishes to be added on a rolling basis. I am confident that every available state and federal resource will be brought to bear for all those in need.
Anyone who has been impacted by this storm should register damages sustained, even if they do not live in these four initial parishes. All registered damage claims in parishes added at a later time will be processed as those parishes are added. We will keep you updated as more parishes are added to the federal declaration.
If you are are in a parish currently included in the federal disaster declaration, you can register with FEMA atdisasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. If your parish is not yet included in the federal declaration, you must register by calling 1-800-621-3362.
In the meantime, the state is still focused on response and rescue.
I ask for your prayers and support in this trying time, and I assure you that we are doing everything we can for our citizens.
God bless,
Gov. John Bel Edwards

http://gov.louisiana.gov/news/an-update-from-the-governor-on-louisianas-flooding-disaster

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[FONT=&quot]Aug. 15, 2016




NASA Analyzes Deadly Louisiana Flooding[/FONT]





[FONT=&quot]Record-setting rainfall and flooding in southern Louisiana have been calculated at NASA with data from satellites.
An extremely severe rainfall event hit the states of Louisiana and southern Mississippi when a very slow moving low pressure system continuously pulled tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.


NASA's IMERG data from Aug. 8 to Aug. 15, 2016 showed over 20 inches (508 mm) of rainfall was estimated in large areas of southeastern Louisiana and extreme southern Mississippi. Even greater rainfall totals of 30 inches (762 mm) were indicated in a small area of Louisiana west of Lake Pontchartrain.
Credits: NASA/JAXA, Hal Pierce




Measurements by the Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM mission core observatory satellite showed that rainfall intensity within the low pressure system actually increased on Aug. 12 as the low pressure area bringing the rainfall settled over southeastern Louisiana. GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA.

At least 4 people have died in record flooding after the unusually heavy rainfall starting falling the week of Aug. 8. More than 27 inches (686 millimeters (mm)) of rain have been reported in the area. This is the second time this year that record flooding rainfall has hit Louisiana. At least 27 inches (686 mm) of precipitation was also reported in Louisiana during the middle of Mar. 2016 and also caused record flooding.

NASA's IMERG data from Aug. 8 to Aug. 15, 2016 showed over 20 inches (508 mm) of rainfall was estimated in large areas of southeastern Louisiana and extreme southern Mississippi. Even greater rainfall totals of 30 inches (762 mm) were indicated in a small area of Louisiana west of Lake Pontchartrain.
Credits: NASA/JAXA, Hal Pierce



At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA's Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data were used to make estimates of total rainfall over the northern Gulf of Mexico during the period from Aug. 8 to Aug. 15, 2016.

The IMERG data showed heavy rainfall totals moving toward the northwest from the Florida Panhandle into the central northern Gulf coast. Over 20 inches (508 mm) of rainfall was estimated in large areas of southeastern Louisiana and extreme southern Mississippi. Even greater rainfall totals of 30 inches (762 mm) were indicated in a small area of Louisiana west of Lake Pontchartrain.

Heavy rainfall and flooding is now predicted to occur northward into the Mississippi valley as tropical moisture continues to be transported northward and interacts with a nearly stationary frontal system. Heavy rainfall has also recently affected southeastern Texas and western Louisiana.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in New Orleans, Louisiana noted in a forecast discussion on Aug. 15, "As historical and devastatingriver flooding continues over areas between Baton Rouge and Lake Maurepas, the weather has returned to a more typical summer pattern with isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms developing with daytime heating."
NWS also noted that several of the rivers in and around the greater Baton Rouge area still remain at high levels after peaking at record or major crests. NWS noted that several points downstream and close to Lake Maurepas still have a way to go before broad cresting. NWS New Orleans cautioned that some locations will also undergo backwater flooding well away from the main streams, so this event remains in full swing.

Hal Pierce / Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Last Updated: Aug. 15, 2016
Editor: Lynn Jenner

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/...siana-flooding[/FONT]

 

[Emily]

This is a Facebook group trying to connect people and animals to their families. (There is a photo of an eldery woman in the hospital and she does not know who she is - just a devastating situation in Denham Springs and so many other places.)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2016louisianaflood/

 

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[FONT=&quot] [h=1]Health Department Advises Residents and Restaurants in Flood-Affected Areas[/h]

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[FONT=&quot] August 16, 2016

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[FONT=&quot] The Louisiana Department of Health offers advice to Louisiana residents with private drinking water wells and to restaurants that are in areas affected by the recent storm system that caused flooding throughout the state.
Private Drinking Water Wells: Bacterial and Chemical Contamination
If a homeowner's private water well was flooded during or after the storm, the owner should disinfect the well using a chlorine bleach solution following recommendedEnvironmental Protection Agency guidelines. The owner should then flush the well.
Fuel, chemical releases and spills can occur during flood events and enter private wells. Disinfection described above will not provide protection from pesticides, heavy metals and other chemicals. If your water smells like fuel or chemicals, do not drink it until it has been tested by a certified lab. Until you know the water is safe, use bottled water or some other safe supply of water.
If well owners wish to have their water well tested for bacterial or chemical contamination, there are private laboratories that are certified to test drinking water samples and will perform this service for a fee. Owners should wait to submit water samples for testing until they have disinfected and flushed the well. A listing of state-certified drinking water laboratories is available online. For bacterial testing, see here and for chemical testing, see here. For more information on private well water testing, see this LDH publication: Private Water Well Testing in Louisiana.
You can call LDH at 1 (888) 293-7020 for more information or guidance on testing.
Restaurant Food Safety
Modified health inspections are available for restaurants and other retail food establishments in flooded areas of the state. An inspection is required for establishments that have experienced a power outage of four hours or longer or had flood water in their business. The Department of Health advises these businesses to contact the local parish sanitarians for this modified inspection prior to re-opening.
Health Department sanitarians can assist in food destruction if necessary and provide documentation that may be useful for insurance purposes. Sanitarians can also offer guidance regarding the safety of a business's remaining food inventory.
Restaurants are advised that LDH sanitarians are ready to assist and will make every attempt to have the modified inspections completed as soon as possible.
The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state residents. To learn more about LDH, visit www.ldh.la.gov. For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow LDH's Twitter account and Facebook.

http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/3953

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[FONT=&quot] [h=1]Make sure your baby sleeps safely[/h]

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[FONT=&quot] August 19, 2016

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[FONT=&quot] [h=4]Department offers tips on safe sleep, breastfeeding for families displaced by floods[/h] Baton Rouge, La. ? As families affected by recent floods continue to evacuate their homes, the Louisiana Department of Health offers advice for finding a safe place for babies to sleep.
Displaced parents with babies 1 year old or younger may not have been able to evacuate with a standard or portable crib, and the home or shelter where they are staying may not have one available. It is extremely important to provide infants a safe container for sleeping.

Flat surface: No matter what the container is, the sleep surface must be flat and firm.
Other containers: If a crib isn't available, a baby up to 2 months old can be placed to sleep in a laundry basket, box, carton, drawer or washtub. Make sure that these alternate containers are placed on the floor, and keep soft objects and loose bedding out of the container. No pillows, stuffed toys, or blankets should be placed into the container with the baby.
Not safe: Babies should never sleep on an air mattress, waterbed, sofa, futon, or pillow.
Breastfeeding babies during an emergency helps protect them from contaminated water supplies and from diseases such as diarrhea and respiratory diseases. Here are some useful tips for breastfeeding moms.
March of Dimes offers additional resources to help people care for their families in a disaster here. For emergency updates from LDH, visit ldh.la.gov/emergency.
Additional resources are available from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness here.
The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state residents. To learn more about LDH, visit www.ldh.la.gov. For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow LDH's Twitter account and Facebook.

http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/3960

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[FONT=&quot] [h=1]Department of Health Updates Important Prescription Information[/h]

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[FONT=&quot] August 19, 2016

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[FONT=&quot] Due to the recent flooding, many Louisiana Medicaid recipients are in need of essential medications. Here is some important information for anyone seeking to get a refill of their prescription medications.
How can I find an open pharmacy to fill my prescription?
To find an open pharmacy in flood-affected areas, go to https://www.healthcareready.org/rxopen.
Pharmacists? Authority to Dispense Prescriptions in an Emergency by the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy
Louisiana-licensed pharmacists working in parishes affected by this emergency may dispense a one-time emergency prescription of up to a 30-day supply of a prescribed medication if:

• In the pharmacist's professional opinion the medication is essential to the maintenance of life or to the continuation of therapy, and
• The pharmacist makes a good faith effort to reduce the information to a written prescription marked "Emergency Prescription," then file and maintain the prescription as required by law.

This authority applies to all patients, regardless of health insurance coverage, whether public or private coverage or uninsured. It does not provide for payment of the prescription.
Payment for Emergency Prescriptions for Medicare Part D Recipients
Information on emergency prescriptions for people with Medicare Part D coverage can be found at:
https://www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/prescriptions-in-disaster-or-emergency.html
Payment for Emergency Prescriptions for Medicaid Recipients
To ensure access to essential medications for its members during this emergency, Louisiana Medicaid has temporarily changed its policies to:

• Allow for payment of prescriptions that would otherwise be considered too soon to refill,
• Waive recipient copay requirements, and
• Remove prior authorization requirements for many drugs used to treat chronic conditions.

Most controlled substances and specialty drugs will still require prior authorization.
These changes apply only to residents of the following flood-impacted parishes: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Point Coupee, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana.
While the changes apply to both Fee for Service members and managed care enrollees, operational details vary. Details on the policy changes for Fee for Service members can be found at http://www.lamedicaid.com/provweb1/Pharmacy/FFS_Emergency_Pharmacy_Overrides.pdf
Details on the on the policy changes for members of each of the five Medicaid managed care organizations ? Aetna, Amerigroup, AmeriHealth Caritas, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, and United HealthCare ? are available on each plan?s individual website.
Payment for Emergency Prescriptions for People without Health Insurance
Louisiana has activated the federal Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) to help uninsured residents of parishes affected by the flooding meet their pharmacy needs for the duration of the emergency. The program will pay for certain prescription drugs, specific medical supplies, vaccines and limited durable medical equipment available through retail pharmacies in Louisiana and nationwide. For more information, seehttp://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/epap/Pages/default.aspx.
The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state residents. To learn more about LDH, visit [url]www.ldh.la.gov.[/URL] For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow LDH's Twitter account and Facebook.

http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/3961

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Louisiana flood victims desperate for volunteers, money

Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY 1:12 a.m. EDT August 26, 2016

WASHINGTON ? Sherry Buresh and a team of volunteers spent three days this week cleaning out a house in Denham Springs, La., that was flooded with seven feet of water. They ripped out cabinets, pulled up carpet and threw out family photos that couldn?t be saved.

?We?re moving out household possessions and throwing everything away, which is so sad and hard to do with the homeowners there,?? said Buresh, director of U.S. Disaster Response for All Hands Volunteers, a disaster response group based in Mattapoisett, Mass.

Buresh and other relief groups said they could use more help.

?The more volunteers that come in, the quicker we can get people taken care of,?? she said.

Buresh and others, including President Obama, are pleading with Americans to pull out their checkbooks to help fund recovery efforts in Louisiana, where flooding has killed 13 people and damaged tens of thousands of homes and businesses.

The state is also desperate for volunteers to help with the months-long effort to rebuild devastated communities.
...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-victims-desperate-volunteers-money/89350386/

 

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[FONT=&quot] [h=1]Updated Mold Removal Guidance for Flood-Affected Residents[/h]

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[FONT=&quot] August 25, 2016

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[FONT=&quot] For residents who are returning to homes that have been affected by recent flooding, mold removal is a top priority.
Breathing in mold can lead to health effects similar to seasonal allergies. Those with asthma may be more susceptible to the allergic effects of mold.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that trained mold remediation professionals do the mold clean up if mold growth covers more than 100 square feet, or a 10-by-10 foot area. For a list of licensed professionals, visit the Louisiana Licensing Board for Contractors? website.
If the area of mold growth is small enough to clean yourself, ensure that you have appropriate personal protective equipment before starting. Wear gloves, a breathing mask and eye protection. Know the symptoms of heat-related illness and what you should do.
Take the following steps to clean mold in your home:

• Shut off all heat or air conditioning to stop mold spores from spreading around the home or building. If possible, turn on a fan in a window to exhaust the air to the outdoors.
• Remove, bag, and throw out porous materials that have heavy mold growth (i.e. ceiling tiles, leather, sheetrock and insulation, plaster, paneling, wood products, paper, carpet, padding, etc.). Hard surfaces can be cleaned.
• To clean, use detergent in hot water and scrub the moldy area. Use a hard brush or cleaning pad on hard surfaces. Never mix bleach and ammonia cleaners, as this will create a toxic gas.
• Rinse the whole area with hot water. A wet-dry vacuum can be used to pick up extra water.
• Fully dry the area for two to three days. This is extremely important, as mold will return in areas with dampness. Raising the temperature and using dehumidifiers and fans will help speed drying.
• Vacuum your home with a HEPA-filtered vacuum, if available.

For more guidance on mold removal, see the LDH mold brochure here. This brochure is also available in Spanish, Creole and Vietnamese here. Find a comprehensive field guide for cleaning up a flooded home here.
The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state residents. To learn more about LDH, visit [url]www.ldh.la.gov.[/URL] For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow LDH's Twitter account and Facebook.

http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/3966

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