To be sure, Katrina caused damage on a much larger scale than the recent flooding; the hurricane killed at least 1,400 and was the costliest natural disaster in USA history. The president has been criticized for waiting until after this New England vacation to tour the flooding. About 2,600 people remained in shelters, and more than 119,000 households have registered for federal aid.
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Obama tours Castle Place, a flood-damaged area of Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday.
But as much as 2 feet of rain fell in some parts of Baton Rouge over 48 hours. It was over the timing of his response to another disaster in the Bayou State, this one a historic flood blamed for 13 deaths and damaging some 60,000 homes. At least a quarter of the state’s students saw the start of school delayed as districts shut down and many school facilities were flooded.
Obama has declared a major disaster in 20 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes – the state’s equivalent of counties – streamlining federal assistance.
President Obama made a perfunctory visit to flooded areas in Louisiana Tuesday, after facing sharp criticism for refusing to cut short his two-week vacation in Martha’s Vineyard to respond to the worst natural disaster in the USA since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
The White House said Obama is willing to assume criticism about “optics” as long as the federal response is up to par.
“But what I want the people of Louisiana to know is you’re not alone, even after the TV cameras leave”. The station suffered extensive damage to its ground system.
Nungesser, the highest-ranking Republican in Louisiana, and a vocal critic of Obama, has in recent days praised FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for its relief operations.
More than $55 million has been approved to help survivors with temporary rental assistance, essential home repairs, and other serious disaster-related needs. Church-owned boats are also acting as lifesaver boats which go around pulling people out of the water. “This is not a one-off”.
“This is not a photo-op issue”, he told reporters.
“The president certainly believes this is the kind of situation where we’re talking about lives lost, we’re talking about a community being upended that it’s an appropriate time to put politics aside and focus on our responsibilities as Americans”. “The past couple weeks have been hard, but we’ve seen an outpouring of love from so many people”.
“I hope it brings an awareness” of the disaster, Sibley said. So you got the story backwards. Cars were under, trucks were under.
“You know I pay my taxes, I worked”.
“A flood that left much of the region underwater means a huge impact on the federal flood insurance program”. No beds. No television, no food. And it will strip you of most or all of the equity you have invested in your home, which will likely be worth less than what you owe in your two mortgages.
“That’s the most water we’ve routed down the Amite River basin we’ve recorded”, Graham said.
“We are very proud of the coverage our employees at WAFB have provided to viewers in the Baton Rouge area, despite their personal losses”, said Pat LaPlatney, Raycom Media President and CEO.
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“Had a couple officers that said, ‘Hey, I got a brand new pair sitting in the closet I haven’t used yet this year, and I don’t need them, ‘ and no questions asked, I just give them up”, Dorsett said.
