Like the water after the historic rain, the number of Louisiana residents seeking assistance and aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to rise. The last official  count, which is ongoing, showed that over 86-thousand Louisiana residents had completed the necessary paperwork to begin the process of receiving FEMA aid.

If you've been trying to call the FEMA disaster hotline 1 (800) 621-FEMA and haven't gotten through please keep trying. Or you could visit the FEMA website.  Maria Padron, a FEMA spokesperson says the lines are open daily until 10 PM.

After you have finished your application the next step will involve an inspector coming out to your home. During this inspection FEMA will verify the losses that you have claimed.

Then the person is going to get a package in the mail, then sometimes they’re going to get an SBA loan application. It’s important for them to return that packet.

To expedite the recovery process FEMA plans to open several disaster recovery centers across the affected areas of the state. This is so you can speak to a person face to face and get the specific answers that you need.

No two neighbors are going to get the same amount because everybody has different things in their homes, different damages. The maximum is $33,000.

Padron told the Louisiana Radio Network that some people have already received at least a partial assistance check. The faster you complete the paperwork and the more thorough you can be in filling it  out the quicker the money can start to flow.

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