President Joe Biden promised money would be heading to Hurricane Ida survivor’s bank accounts to help with recovery during a Sept. 3 trip to Louisiana, but for some getting this aid has been a struggle, according to a Good Morning America report.
Ida, a Category 4 hurricane, rolled into the Gulf coast in late August and early September. It caused flooding, property damage and at least 26 deaths in Louisiana.
Biden said survivors would receive funds “so that they can deal immediately with emergencies.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's critical needs assistance program was to provide $500 checks for individuals with lifesaving needs. FEMA defines critical needs as “life-saving and life-sustaining items including, but not limited to: water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, diapers, consumable medical supplies, durable medical equipment, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation.”
However, access to the system has been difficult in affected areas, where power has been out for extended periods of time. Some residents who say they have urgent needs are confused about why they have not received the federal aid mentioned by Biden, said Good Morning America.
Melinda Bernard, 34, of Houma, La., is among the survivors who have not received the $500 deposit, even though she requested it. Her family, including her asthmatic son, couldn't find safe lodging to accommodate them and their pets and they were without power for 15 days, she said.
“Everything was booked. We refused to leave our animals so we stayed home,” she said.
Even so, Bernard marked “no” on a FEMA form asking if she was in immediate need. Then, costs added up as she continued to use her generator, which eventually failed and needed to be replaced. In a phone call to a FEMA disaster assistance hotline, a representative told her she couldn't amend Bernard’s application, and that she should visit a local food bank for assistance.
Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller said he applied for the $500 promoted by Biden in the wake of Ida, like many others there. He said on Sept. 15 that he still hadn't received it.
“I've only heard of a handful that have gotten it,” he said.
Miller also said that the information available about the program was confusing to residents.
Others who have had trouble applying include Danielle Craig, 45, who lives in Hammond, on the border of Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes, with her diabetic husband. They were displaced for two weeks by the hurricane.
Roofs were ripped off of buildings in her town and there were downed trees in the streets. The Craig’s home developed water damage and black mold while they were gone.
When she tried to apply for the FEMA funds, Craig couldn't confirm her address in its system. When she called, she said a representative told her their home would need to be inspected first. As of Friday, nobody had shown up. Neither has the $500.
FEMA Public Affairs Director Jaclyn Rothenberg said there had been more than 640,000 applications in Louisiana in connection with Ida, and 65 percent had received critical needs assistance funding.
“Most people are getting the funds they apply for,” she said.
FEMA officials have encouraged applicants who were not offered critical needs assistance to explore other options, including individual assistance, said Good Morning America.
Rothenberg said FEMA is “improving access to disaster assistance for underserved communities,” including by expanding the criteria for applicants to show they have expenses related to their homes.
Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., announced Sept. 10 that FEMA had granted a 10-day extension to the original deadline to apply for assistance after, his spokesperson said. The new deadline is Sept. 22.
In the meantime, some residents with urgent needs are forced to wait.
“You can only be so patient after weeks of damage and nobody's done anything,” Craig said.
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