August of 2016 was certainly a wet one for the entire state of Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has more…

CUT 1 (28) “I’m Jeff Palermo” 

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Around 135-thousand people have applied for FEMA assistance since the flood, and many have been denied. Michelle Southern has more on a new hotline offering legal advice to these victims…

CUT 2 (31)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

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August of 2016 goes down as the wettest recorded August in Louisiana. State Climatologist Barry Keim says data shows the state averaged 12 and a half inches for the month, crushing the previous record of 9.71 inches back in August of 1940. However, he says this August was only the ninth wettest month ever when looking at all the months of the year…

CUT 3 (08)  “ago”

Keim says August 2016 was the wettest month ever in Baton Rouge, recording a little over 30 inches in the Capital City. He says that’s also the case for the Acadiana region and the Felicianas that were hammered by the recent rain event.

CUT 4 (11)  “24.74”

Keim says the majority of the rainfall this August came over a three to four day period…

CUT 5 (10)  “of rain”

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As flood victims are working to repair their homes and get as much federal assistance as possible, volunteer attorneys are offering legal advice to those who are denied by FEMA. New Orleans attorney Graham Ryan says they’ve established a hotline to provide quick answers. He says people can call 1-800-310-7029, and there are other ways to reach these volunteers.

CUT 6 (08) “affected areas”

Ryan says some of the denials can easily be reversed. He says one common problem is that the name on the deed of the flooded home didn’t match the name on the application, like when people move into their deceased parent’s home.

CUT 7 (07) “FEMA benefits”

Ryan says it’s important for people to know these attorneys are not taking on cases, just offering legal advice. But he says there are plenty of organizations around the state that will take up a flood victim’s case.

CUT 8 (10) “can do”

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Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says he’s been told the August flood event will be the fourth most costly event for the National Flood Insurance Program.

CUT 9 (10) “insurance program”

Donelon says there have been 28-thousand claims filed with the N-F-I-P and expects the number to grow past 30-thousand. He says most of the calls they are getting lately are from people who thought their homeowners insurance covered flooding. He says people should know what they’re covered for and what they’re not.

cut 10 (10)  “my house”

Donelon says Louisiana has the third most flood insurance policies in the nation, at 450-thousan policies. He says people are also benefitting from comprehensive coverage on their vehicles. He says State Farm has already reported 18-thousand claims have been made for flooded vehicles.

Cut 11 (10) “those vehicles”

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Shreveport Police are searching for burglary suspects who stole a service animal. Cpl. Marcus Hines says police were called to a home after the residence had been forcefully entered and items were taken, including “Major, a Rottweiler service dog, who is trained to understand sign language.

cut 12 (10) “his chest”

Hines says if anyone has information on where Major could be, call Crime Stoppers. He says they’re unsure why someone would take the dog but hope to reunite Major with his owner as soon as possible.

Cut 13 (09)  “doing it”

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The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is reminding motorists about their responsibilities on the road when approaching an upcoming accident. The plea comes in the wake of the tragic crash that killed two people, including a district fire chief in St. John Parish. LHSC spokeswoman Jessica Bedwell says drivers need to move away from crashes…:

cut 14 (10)  “first responders”

Bedwell says the recent crash illustrates why drivers must exercise caution when encountering parked emergency vehicles on the roadway. She says Louisiana law mandates that motorists safely change lanes when approaching emergency vehicles parked on or near the highway…:

cut 15 (09) “the area”

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has donated over 1.6 million dollars in flood relief and plans to give even more. Michelle Southern has the story…

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An Ascension Parish lawmaker wants FEMA to move faster in providing manufactured homes for flood victims. Halen Doughty has more…

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The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has given over 1.6 million dollars to help those affected by the historic flooding that tore through south Louisiana. Director of Communications Mukul Verma says they’ve given dozens of grants to local nonprofits working in the field of flood relief. He says a lot of this money comes from online platforms where people from around the country donate money.

CUT 3 (10)  “million”

Verma says companies around the region have donated about a million dollars to BRAF. He says 600-thousand dollars have been distributed to schools and education organizations to assist with new classroom supplies and restoring water logged schools.

CUT 4 (09)  “on track”

Verma says donations aren’t coming in as quickly like after Hurricane Katrina, for which they raised 10 million dollars in the same amount of time. He says donations have slowed again but they are raising about 20-thousand dollars a day in online donations and a lot of other people are raising money too.

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State lawmakers grilled a FEMA administrator today in the House Homeland Security Committee meeting, asking why it’s taking so long to get assistance to flood victims. FEMA Coordinating Officer Gerard Stolar says there are 23-hundred FEMA personnel working on this disaster.

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Stolar says 131-thousand people have registered for federal aid, and $315 million has been approved for FEMA. He says over 111-thousand home inspections have been ordered, but only 56-thousand have been completed.

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Stolar says $289 million has been dispersed to flood victims. He says 2-thousand flood survivors are still in hotels, and more than 15-hundred are in shelters. Gonzales Representative Clay Schexnayder express frustration that FEMA is not moving fast enough to help flood victims return to a normal everyday life…

CUT 8 (08) “their homes” 

Stolar says 200 households have been approved for FEMA manufactured homes, but only one of the trailers has been set up in Louisiana. He says local ordinances are creating a road block to getting these homes set up. Schexnayder says he doesn’t care how it happens, but the process needs to be expedited.

CUT 9 (08) “at all”

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State Treasurer John Kennedy told lawmakers today that they should consider suspending the one cent sales tax increase for flood victims rebuilding their homes. He said the state should not reap a financial windfall from people’s tragedy, when they’ll have to pay an extra penny on items needed to rebuild their lives…:

cut 10 (09)  “the extra penny”

But New Orleans Senator JP Morrell, who chairs the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee, says this is not something that Kennedy should be proposing as feasible on the fly, because it’s not…:

Cut 11 (08) “we’re in session”

Kennedy says the increase in the sales tax should be revisited, even if it means calling a special session. He says Morrell is entitled to his opinion:

cut 12 (09) “more money”

Morrell says Kennedy has been in government for years, and he should know that the state’s tax code just doesn’t allow lawmakers to immediately suspend a tax for certain people…:

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Mandeville police have arrested a former employee at an assistant living facility on a charge of first degree rape. Officer Beck White says 58-year-old Jerry Kan, who worked as cook at Beau Provence Memory Care, was booked after authorities received a call about inappropriate behavior between Kan and a 78-year-old resident.

cut 14 (03)  “the facility”

White says Kan has worked at Beau Provence since April of this year. She says the incident occurred on August 21 inside the resident’s room, and Kan resigned two days later.

cut 15 (04) “incident”

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