Volunteer attorneys are offering legal advice to flood victims who are denied by FEMA. New Orleans attorney Graham Ryan says this program does not take on cases, they just help guide people through the confusing process. But he says there are plenty of organizations around the state that will take up a flood victim’s case…:
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That hotline number is 1-800-310-7029.

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…:
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Donelon says there have been 28-thousand claims filed with the N-F-I-P and expects the number to grow past 30-thousand.

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:
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Bedwell says the recent crash illustrates why drivers must exercise caution when encountering parked emergency vehicles on the roadway.

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…:
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Anyone with information on Major’s whereabouts is urged to contact authorities.

August of 2016 was certainly a wet one for the entire state of Louisiana. Jeff Palermo has more…:
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The Louisiana Workforce Commission is extending the disaster unemployment assistance application period to October 14, 2016 for individuals affected by the August 2016 flooding. The funding is available to workers and self-employed people who lost work or earnings as a result of the disaster. You can submit an application online at laworks.net.

The FEMA assistance process has been extremely confusing for many, and there are those who lost everything who don’t know what they received denial letters. Well there’s free legal advice available to people by calling 1-800-310-7029. New Orleans attorney Graham Ryan says one common reasons people get denial letters is that the name on the deed of the flooded home didn’t match the name on the application…:
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The free hotline number again is 1-800-310-7029.

More than 50 students from the University of Alabama will spend Labor Day weekend working with LSU students to help Baton Rouge flood victims, according to university officials. According to officials with the University of Alabama, students filled the open spots in about 15 minutes and there is a waiting list for other students who want to come to Louisiana to help with flood relief.

August of 2016 is certainly one for the record books, going down as the wettest August recorded in the state of 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…:
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Keim says August 2016 was the wettest month ever in Baton Rouge, recording a little over 30 inches in the Capital City.

100,000 insured vehicles were flooded in Louisiana following the August downpours and historic flooding, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. They add that the number of uninsured vehicles that were flood damaged could be even more, since many owners choose to drop their policy’s comprehensive coverage as the vehicle ages.

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 you can call 1-800-310-7029, or…:
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Ryan says some of the denials can easily be reversed.

St. Amant High School lost everything during the floods, including their band equipment. The St. Amant Gators got a surprise this week when the Northwestern State band loaned them nine snare drums, four sets of tenor drums, and five bass drums. Northwestern Director of Bands Dr. Jeff Mathews says they wanted to help others during this difficult time…:
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Craig Millet is the St. Amant Director of Bands and says they can’t put into words how much this gesture means.

FEMA admits they are running into hurdles in trying to get manufactured homes set up on a person’s flooded property. FEMA coordinator officer Gerard Stolar says it’s not like the old FEMA trailers, when the housing unit would fit comfortably on a yard….
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Stolar says ideally it takes five to seven days to set up these homes, but so far only one has been put in place.

Today is the funeral for St. John District Fire Chief Spencer Chauvin. He was one of two people killed when a bus, driven by an illegal immigrant, slammed in Chauvin’s fire truck and other vehicles that were involved in an earlier accident on Interstate 10 near LaPlace.

Alligator season opens in the eastern part of the state, but those in the industry say prices are way down as hides and alligator meat is not in high demand.

The Northwestern State Band has loaned some of their drums to St. Amant High School, who lost their instruments in the flood. N-S-U Band Director Jeff Matthews says they wanted to do something for those impacted by these devastating floods…
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About 12-hundred Tiger Fans leave for Green Bay today for Saturday’s season opener against Wisconsin. Emelie Gunn has more…
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The Senate Homeland Security Committee is meeting at this hour with state and federal officials regarding FEMA’s response to flood victims. Chairman and Baton Rouge Senator Bodi White says many residents have been getting conflicting information from agents so he has some advice in that regard…:
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White says he’s invited mayors from the flooded areas to see what their plans are for building permits.

Meanwhile the feds are encountering various road blocks when it comes to getting the FEMA manufactured housing units to residents. The post-Katrina FEMA trailers were heavily criticized, but Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover says these bigger units are not feasible either…:
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Only one FEMA mobile home has been installed on a flood victim’s property.

Today is the funeral for St. John District Chief Spencer Chauvin. Police say an illegal immigrant crashed a bus into Chauvin’s fire truck, several other vehicles and then into Chauvin and two other firefighters. It threw them off the I-10 Three Mile Bridge and into the water below. Chauvin died a short time later. Another person died in the incident.

Governor John Bel Edwards is in Acadiana today where he is slated to speak at an event, then tour a neighborhood in Lafayette that experienced significant damage from the historic flooding event.

The LSU Alumni Association’s “Traveling Tigers” say, in 33 years of hitting up away games, the trip they are making today to Green Bay is the largest they have ever done. Rhett Butler with the Alumni Association says most of the fans making the trip for the LSU/Wisconsin game have always wanted to see a game in Lambeau Field…:
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LSU officials are projecting around 30,000 Tiger fans will attend the game.

FEMA is encountering a lot of problems trying to get manufactured homes set up for flood victims. Jeff Palermo has more…:
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Hermine is forecast to become a hurricane before hitting Florida tonight. The National Hurricane Center says it should happen shortly after midnight tonight, but the impacts will be felt much sooner. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Suwanne River to Mexico Beach Florida. Hurricane Watches are also posted in surrounding regions.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee will once again hear from disaster response agencies in the hopes of getting some answers for flood victims. Chairman and Baton Rouge Senator Bodi White says the Commissioner of Insurance is also expected to attend to answer questions about flood insurance for these homes in the future…:
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He says they still don’t know whether or not houses that received damage worth more than half the value will have to be elevated before they are rebuilt.

The Northwestern State band donated equipment to the St. Amant High program — as the Ascension Parish school lost everything. Northwestern Director of Bands Dr. Jeff Mathews says they are pleased to have the opportunity to help another marching band…:
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Craig Millet is the St. Amant Director of Bands and says they can’t put into words how much this gesture means.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee is set to get some answers from the agencies involved in the flood recovery today. Halen Doughty has more…:
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An unrestrained teenager from New Roads died in a two-vehicle crash when State Police say the car she was traveling in was hit as the driver failed to stop at a red light. Investigators say 23-year-old Kelsey Moore, who also had five juvenile passengers in the rear seat aged 1-6, faces many charges including Negligent Homicide. Her front seat passenger, 16-year-old Shafteanna Williams died at the scene.

The FEMA manufactured homes are not being set up the way folks anticipated. So far, only one of the temporary housing units has been provided to a flood victim. FEMA Coordinating Officer Gerard Stolar says there is a lot of red tape when it comes to setting up on private property, and it would be quicker to put a bunch of units on a large piece of land..:
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The post-Katrina FEMA trailers were highly criticized, but some lawmakers say these larger manufactured homes are not practical either.

About 12-hundred purple and gold fans are headed to Lambeau Field this morning with the LSU Alumni Association to watch LSU take on the Wisconsin Badgers for the 2016 season opener. Spokesman for the group, Rhett Butler:
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The game kicks off at 2:30.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee will once again hear from disaster response agencies in the hopes of getting some answers for flood victims. Chairman and Baton Rouge Senator Bodi White says they still don’t know whether or not homeowners whose houses received damage worth more than half the value of their home will have to elevate their house before they rebuild…:
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He suggests homeowners write down everything a FEMA agent tells you and date it.

So what about those hard to get FEMA manufactured homes? FEMA Coordinating Officer Gerard Stolar told legislators a lot goes into setting up this temporary housing…:
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Only one FEMA mobile home has been installed on a flood victim’s property.

In the Florida panhandle, a Hurricane Warning is in effect for some areas, and watches and Tropical Storm Warnings in other areas as Tropical Hermine approaches. The National Hurricane Center says on the forecast track, the center of Hermine will be near the Florida coast in the warning area tonight or early tomorrow.

St. Amant High School lost everything during the floods, including their band equipment. The St. Amant Gators got a surprise this week when the Northwestern State band loaned them nine snare drums, four sets of tenor drums, and five bass drums. Northwestern Director of Bands Dr. Jeff Mathews says they wanted to help others during this difficult time…:
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Craig Millet is the St. Amant Director of Bands and says they can’t put into words how much this gesture means.