Pres. Trump Approves La. Gov. Edwards' Request for 100 Percent Federal Cost Share for Activity Related to Hurricane Laura

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, Oct. 31 -- Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-Louisiana, issued the following news on Oct. 30:

Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards received confirmation that President Donald J. Trump has authorized a 100 percent Federal cost share for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, for a 30 day period of activity related to Hurricane Laura. Hurricane Laura made landfall in Cameron Parish August 27. It is one of five named storms that hit Louisiana in 2020, a record for the state.

"We are grateful to Pres. Trump and his administration for their quick response to this urgent request and thankful for the relief it will provide for the state and all of the communities impacted by Hurricane Laura, which was a major hurricane that caused widespread damage," said Gov. Edwards.

"We have dealt with a record breaking amount of activity this hurricane season, while also battling the COVID-19 pandemic. We're also very appreciative of the diligent work by Louisiana's congressional delegation on this request. Having a great working relationship with FEMA Region 6 has proven very valuable in our requests for emergency support. Even while we continue recovery efforts for each of these natural disasters, we must continue monitoring the tropics as we approach the last month of the 2020 hurricane season."

Under the President's major disaster declaration issued for Louisiana on August 28, 2020, Federal funding was made available for Public Assistance at 75 percent Federal funding of total eligible costs. It will cover a continuous period of 30 days established by the state. Further guidance will be issued shortly addressing the 30 day period associated with this approval.