Recovery Programs
2020-2021 Storms
Impact
In 2020-2021, Louisiana experienced four separate events that qualified for federal appropriations under Public Law 117-43. The four events were Hurricane Laura in August 2020 (Disaster Number 4559), Hurricane Delta in October 2020 (Disaster Number 4570), Hurricane Ida in August 2021 (Disaster Number 4611) and the Severe Storms of May 2021 (Disaster 4606). These disasters resulted in 44 of the state's 64 parishes receiving a federal disaster declaration.
The federal government has allocated more than $3.1 billion in federal Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds as part of the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022 and the Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2023 for recovery from the 2020-2021 Storms..
Louisiana received the funds in three separate allocations, which total:
- $1.05 billion for Hurricanes Laura/Delta; and
- $2.1 billion for Hurricanes Ida and the May 2021 Storms
Recovery
The Louisiana Office of Community Development will administer 14 recovery programs for storm-affected homeowners, residents, businesses and communities. Information on program launches is available on the Restore Louisiana website.
Great Floods of 2016
Impact
In 2016, Louisiana had two separate events that qualified for appropriation under Public Law 114-223. The state experienced severe storms and flooding in both March (Disaster Number 4263) and August (Disaster Number 4277) 2016, which are collectively referred to as the 2016 Severe Storms and Flooding, resulting in 56 of the state's 64 parishes receiving a federal disaster declaration. From the March event, more than 16,000 homes have Federal Emergency Management Agency Verified Loss and 5,222 renters have FEMA Verified Loss, totaling 21,684 households. The National Weather Service designated the August flooding event that dropped an unprecedented 7 trillion gallons of rainwater in South Louisiana as a "1,000-year" rainfall event. It resulted in the flooding of 68,380 homes with FVL and 23,248 renters with FVL, totaling of 91,628 households. The August storm claimed 13 lives.
Recovery
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated $1.7 billion in Community Development Block Grant- Disaster Recovery funds to the state of Louisiana for recovery from the Great Floods of 2016. The funds were provided in three separate allocations:
- $437.8 million in October 2016;
- $1.2 billion in December 2016; and
- $51.4 million in May 2017.
For the first allocation, HUD required that $350.2 million of the funding must be utilized in HUD's list of six most-impacted and distressed parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Livingston, Ouachita and Tangipahoa; that $87.6 million must be utilized in other areas determined by the state to be most impacted and distressed; and that 70% of the total funding must benefit low-to-moderate income individuals.
For the second allocation, HUD expanded the most impacted and distressed parishes to 10, adding: Acadia, St. Tammany, Vermilion and Washington parishes, and required that 80% of the funding must be utilized in those 10 most-impacted and distressed parishes; and that 70 percent of the total funding must benefit low-to-moderate income individuals.
For the third allocation, HUD allotted $51,435,000 to Louisiana from the $400 million Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 for recovery from major national disasters that occurred in 2015 and later.
More information about these recovery programs can be found on the 2016 Restore Louisiana website.
National Disaster Resilience Competition (2016)
The National Disaster Resilience Competition was funded through Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery appropriations provided by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013. The competition was designed to promote risk assessment, stakeholder engagement and resilience planning in communities where unmet needs still exist from the relevant disaster and the risks of disaster are projected to increase substantially due to climate change. The competition took place in two phases, with final winners selected from 40 states and local communities designated as finalists. More than 25 federal agencies or offices, and 100 industry experts were involved in the implementation of the 16-month long competition. HUD named 13 winning entities, including Louisiana, which was awarded $92.6 million for the Resettlement of the Isle de Jean Charles and implementation of the LA SAFE policy framework.
Isaac (2012)
Impact
Hurricane Isaac struck Louisiana's coast at Plaquemines Parish on Aug. 28, 2012, as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm headed back out over the Gulf of Mexico, making a second landfall just west of Port Fourchon in Lafourche Parish on Aug. 29, 2012. The slow-moving storm proceeded to impact multiple Louisiana parishes with sustained strong winds and heavy rain through Aug. 30, 2012.
The severe storms brought on by Hurricane Isaac caused:
- Massive power outages to more than 900,000 home and business;
- Severe flooding due to storm surge in coastal parishes, as well as heavy rainfall and backflow along inland waterways;
- An estimated $1.075 billion in damage, including $914 million in housing need, $47.2 million in economic need and $114.4 million in infrastructure need; and
- Flooding of about 17,000 homes.
Recovery
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development appropriated $106,778,000 to Louisiana for recovery from Hurricane Isaac, $42,398,916 of which went directly to New Orleans, Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany Parish. The remaining $64,379,084 was allocated to Louisiana. The Isaac Action Plan describes the damage caused to the state and specifically St. John the Baptist and Plaquemines parishes, which were designated by HUD as the "most impacted and distressed parishes". It details the unmet needs caused by the storm and outlines proposed uses of funds and eligible activities available to assist declared parishes to meet unmet housing, economic development, public service, infrastructure and other needs that arose as a result of the storm.
| HUD Grantee | Allocation Amount |
| Jefferson Parish | $16,453,000 |
| New Orleans | $15,031,000 |
| St. Tammany Parish | $10,914,916 |
| Louisiana | $64,379,084 |
| State Grantee | Allocation Amount |
| St. John the Baptist Parish | $27,674,000 |
| St. John the Baptist Parish School Board | $5 million |
| Plaquemines Parish | $16,953,000 |
| FEMA Cost-Share Program | $5,886,000 |
| LMI HMA Cost-Share Program | $2,714,277 |
| Parish Recovery Priority Projects | $1.1 million |
| Homeowner Rehabilitation Program | $1,731,807 |
| State Administration & Planning | $3,320,000 |
Gustav and Ike (2008)
Impact
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which impacted Louisiana on Sept. 1, 2008 and Sept. 12, 2008:
- Caused 51 deaths
- Flooded 12,000 – 13,000 homes and damaged 150,000 – 300,000
- Caused an estimated $8 billion – $20 billion in physical damage
- Were responsible for more than $1 billion in public infrastructure damage
- Caused $2 billion – $7 billion in housing damages, including $1.7 billion in uninsured losses
- Gustav severely impacted 43 parishes; Ike severely impacted 14
Recovery
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development appropriated $1.09 billion in Community Development Block Grant funds to Louisiana for recovery from hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The funds were provided in three separate appropriations:
- $438 million in November 2008;
- $620 million in June 2009; and
- $32.5 million in September 2010
OCD-DRU allocated more than half of the Gustav-Ike recovery funds to the 53 impacted parishes, a total of $562.5 million. Parishes have chosen their own housing, infrastructure and economic development programs, following federal guidelines and pending approval by the state's Review Committee. Outreach representatives within OCD, assigned to each parish, provide technical assistance and guidance with their menu of recovery programs.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005)
Impact
Hurricanes Katrina (landfall Aug. 29, 2005) and Rita (landfall Sept. 24, 2005) devastated south Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. In the New Orleans metropolitan area, storm surge from Hurricane Katrina breached the city’s levee protection system at several points; 80% of the city was left underwater and thousands were stranded on rooftops and in shelters-of-last-resort. Much of St. Bernard Parish was devastated by flooding and wind damage. Hurricane Katrina also left behind major wind, rain and storm surge damage in Plaquemines, Jefferson, and St. Tammany parishes. Three weeks later, storm surge from Hurricane Rita re-flooded parts of New Orleans before the storm made landfall in far eastern Texas, devastating much of Cameron Parish and leaving behind intense flood and wind damage in Calcasieu and Vermilion parishes. Other Louisiana parishes also suffered damages from the storms. Hurricane Katrina is the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, with a total damage estimate of $108 billion.
Recovery
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development appropriated $13.4 billion in Community Development Block Grant funds to the state of Louisiana for recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The funds were provided in three separate appropriations:
- $6.2 billion in February 2006;
- $4.2 billion in July 2006; and
- $3 billion in November 2007.
The final $3 billion was provided to finish the Road Home program and can only be used on the existing population within the Road Home.
Parishes Eligible for Katrina/Rita Disaster Recovery CDBG Funds:
| Acadia | Jefferson Davis | St. John the Baptist |
| Allen | Lafayette | St. Mary |
| Beauregard | Lafourche | St. Tammany |
| Calcasieu | Livingston | Tangipahoa |
| Cameron | Orleans | Terrebonne |
| East Baton Rouge | Plaquemines | Vermilion |
| Iberia | St. Bernard | Washington |
| Jefferson | St. Charles | |
