Louisiana Gov. Edwards: Federal Assistance Approved for Parishes Impacted by April Tornadoes

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, June 3 -- Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-Louisiana, issued the following news:

President Donald Trump has approved Gov. John Bel Edwards' request for a federal disaster declaration for Lincoln, Morehouse and Union parishes following devastating tornadoes in late April, which killed two people and left a trail of more than $12 million of damage, including impacting Louisiana Tech University.

The approval covers Public Assistance (PA) costs in the impacted areas. The purpose of the PA Grant Program is to support communities' recovery from major disasters by providing them with grant assistance for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and restoring public infrastructure. Local governments, states, tribes, territories, and certain private nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply.

The request for Individual Assistance for homeowners is still under review.

"We appreciate President Trump's approval of assistance related to this devastating tornado outbreak, which took two lives and caused millions in property damage. We are optimistic he will also approve support for our homeowners who suffered damage or lost their homes," said Gov. Edwards. "We continue to work with our partners at FEMA and in local government on the recovery process and will do everything we can to assist affected citizens."

Find more tips on weather and preparedness on GOHSEP's Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. The Get A Game Plan App is another resource available to help you and your family prepare for any type of emergency. You can download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.