The much-maligned travel trailer that dotted front yards and miles of vacant property in south Louisiana and MS became a symbol of everything that had gone wrong with the federal disaster response to the destructive 2005 hurricane.
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The flooding damaged more than 60,000 homes and forced thousands to seek temporary housing, according to estimates.
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump visited Baton Rouge on Friday, hugging victims and driving through some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods, where the entire contents of homes were piled on the curb.
On Tuesday, Samaritan’s Purse said it received 840 work orders in the Baton Rouge area, with more expected in the coming days and weeks. Edwards, who had urged the president not to visit the state when the rescue operation was in full swing, said the federal government so far has been “responsive to all of our requests”.
The White House said last week Obama is eager to see the impact of the floods, but wanted to make sure his presence did not “interfere with ongoing recovery efforts”.
An American Red Cross volunteer at the River Center shelter helps a woman displaced by flooding in Baton Rouge, Lousiana in August 2016.
“This is not a one-off, this is not a photo-op issue”.
As a presidential candidate in 2008, Obama criticized the disaster response of the Bush administration.
“Honestly, Obama ought to get off the golf course and get down there”, he said.
At least 13 people have died and 86,000 people have registered for United States government emergency assistance as a result of the flooding.
During his vacation, Obama declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, spoke by phone with local officials and dispatched Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to visit the area.
“Sometimes when these kinds of things happen, it can seem too much to bear, but what I want the people of Louisiana to know is that you’re not alone on this”, he said.
You mischaracterized what I said.
Debris removal crews are out on the streets with 20 trucks in Baton Rouge and others in Livingston Parish to begin hauling away ruined furniture, drywall and other damaged possessions piled along streets after last week’s flooding.
He says that insurance is created to cover all damages, while help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency can not do that. “When disasters strike, that’s one of the few times that Washington tends not to get political”, he said.
Naketa Woods, who owns a home in Castle Place, stood in her driveway in the sweltering heat with her husband waiting to meet with Mr Obama. “Too little, too late!”
“I’m just glad he’s here”, Mr Nungesser told MSNBC in an interview. He said he hoped Obama’s visit would bring hope to the state’s residents.
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The president’s visit also coincides with proposed new federal regulations for companies and homeowners that use federal money to build in flood-prone areas – including a plan that calls for federally-funded projects to be at least two get above the 100-year floodplain. One police officer in KCK said he’s extending a helping hand to those courageous men and women who are in desperate need of supplies.
