News Intelligence Analysis
Copy of Letter
from Governor Blanco to
President Bush
Dated August 28, 2005
If for any reason
the copy below does not print correctly we have prepared a pdf
file of it,
which you can access by clicking on Mr. Bush's image: 
If you prefer to check the original
from Governor Blanco's
web site, you may click for our
pdf (932kb) download here on Mr. Cheney's image: 
August 28, 2005
The President
The White
House
Washington, D.C.
Through:
Regional Director
FEMA Region VI
800 North Loop 288
Denton,
Texas 76209
Dear Mr.
President:
Under the
provisions of Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5121-5206
(Stafford Act), and implemented by 44 CFR § 206.36, I request
that you declare: an expedited major disaster for the State of
Louisiana as Hurricane Katrina, a Category V Hurricane approaches
our coast south of New Orleans; beginning on August 28, 2005
and continuing. The affected areas include all the southeastern
parishes including the City of New Orleans directly impacted by the brunt of the
storm and the mid state and northern parishes accepting the thousands
of citizens forced to evacuate from the impacted areas directly
affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Parishes
expected to receive major damage based on the anticipated track
of Hurricane Katrina are: Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, and Washington.
In addition
we are expecting that the following parishes to suffer significant
damage as tropical storm force wind and heavy rainfall occur
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall: Acadia, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge,
East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Mary, St.
Martin, Vermillion, West Baton Rouge, and West
Feliciana.
Parishes
that are affected by the evacuation of persons from the southeastern
parishes of the state as we implement the Louisiana Shelter Operations
Plan are: Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo,
Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, Desoto, East Carroll,
Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle, Lincoln, Madison,
Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland,
Sabine, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon, Webster, West Carroll,
and Winn.
In response
to the situation, I have taken appropriate action under State
law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on
August 26, 2005, in accordance with Section 401 of the
Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order
to support the evacuations of the coastal areas and the remainder
of the state to support the State Evacuation and Sheltering Plan.
A Preliminary
Damage Assessment will be conducted as soon as possible after
the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. Based on the predictions we
have received from the National Weather Service and other sources,
I have determined that this incident will be of such severity
and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities
of the State and the affected local governments and that supplementary
Federal assistance will be necessary.
I am specifically
requesting:
Mr. President
Page two
August 28, 2005
Individual
Assistance, including the Individual and Household Program (IHP),
Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Crisis Counseling, Public Assistance
(Category A-G funding at 100%), Small Business Administration
(SBA) disaster loans and Direct Federal Assistance (DFA) funding
at 100% for the following parishes: Acadia, Ascension, Assumption,
Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia,
Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche,
Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Orleans, Plaquermines, St. Bernard,
St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Martin,
St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, West
Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.
To support
the evacuation/sheltering effort, I am also requesting: Individual
Assistance, including the Individual and Household Program (IHP),
Crisis Counseling, and Public Assistance (Category B) for the
following parishes: Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville,
Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, Desoto,
East Carroll, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, LaSalle,
Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides,
Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Landry, Tensas, Union, Vernon,
Webster, West Carroll, and Winn.
The State
Hazard Mitigation Plan (SHMP) was approved by FEMA on April 15, 2005. We are requesting Hazard Mitigation
for eligible applicants that have a FEMA Approved Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan and the parishes that are approved within the
application period for this disaster.
The following
information is furnished on the nature and amount of State and
local resources that have been or will be used to alleviate the
conditions of this disaster:
- Ten Special Needs and six General
Population shelters have been opened in the affected parishes
on 8/28/2005.
- Ascension and St. James Parishes have instituted precautionary evacuations.
- St. Charles, Jefferson (Grand Isle and Lafitte),
Lafourche (outside of flood gates), Plaquermines, Orleans (portions) and Assumption Parishes
have instituted mandatory evacuations.
- St. Bernard, Terrebonne (south of
the Intracoastal Waterway), Orleans and St. John the Baptist Parishes have recommended
evacuations.
- Louisiana began contra-flowing traffic on
I-10, I-55, I-59 and portions of I-20. Contra-flow will cease
six hours prior to landfall.
- Bridges, ferries and airports are
expected to close when maximum sustained winds reach 39 mph.
- Department of Social Services (DSS)
/ ARC / Local: Open (48) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing
(3) on Standby.
- Department of Health and Hospitals
(DHH)/(DSS): Opening (8) Special Needs Shelters
(SNS) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby.
- LANG and the Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators
and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters and Field personnel
and equipment.
- Louisiana State Police (LSP): Costs to support evacuations.
Mr. President
Page Three
August 28, 2005
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries (WLF): Costs to supprt
evacuations.
- Louisiana Department of Transportation
and Development (DOTD): Costs to support evacuations.
Due to the
extraordinary nature of this catastrophic hurricane and based
on the anticipated damages in the impacted areas including the
New Orleans Metropolitan region, I am requesting an increase
of the Federal cost share from 75% to 100% for Individual Assistance,
Public Assistance (All Categories) and Direct Federal Assistance.
I certify that for this major disaster, the State and local governments
will assume the applicable non-Federal share of costs required
by the Stafford Act.
I request
direct Federal assistance for work and services to save lives
and protect property.
We
do not anticipate State and local government resources to be
able to accomplish the volume of debris removal anticipated for
this disaster.
We
are requesting a direct debris removal mission assignment for
Hurricane Katrina.
In accordance
with 44 CFR § 206.208, the State of Louisiana agrees that it will, with respect to
direct Federal assistance:
Provide
without cost to the United
States
all lands, easements and rights-of-ways necessary to accomplish
the approved work;
Hold
and save the United
States
free from damages due to the requested work, and shall indemnify
the Federal Government against any claims arising from such work;
Provide
reimbursement to FEMA for the non-Federal share of the cost of
such work in accordance with the provisions of the FEMA-State
Agreement; and
Assist
the performing Federal agency in all support and local jurisdictional
matters.
In addition,
I anticipate the need for debris removal, which poses an immediate
threat to lives, public health, and safety.
Pursuant
to Sections 403 and 407 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. §§
5170b & 5173, the State agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
the United States of America for any claims arising from the
removal of debris or wreckage for this disaster. The State agrees
that debris removal from public and private property will not
occur until the landowner signs an unconditional authorization
for the removal of debris.
I have designated
Mr. Arthur G. Jones as the State Coordinating Officer for this
request. He will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
in damage assessment and may provide further information or justification
on my behalf.
Sincerely,
(Signed)
Kathleen
Babineaux Blanco
Governor
Enclosure
ENCLOSURE
A TO EXPEDITED REQUEST
Estimated requirements for other Federal
agency programs:
- Department of Social Services (DSS):
Opening (3) Special Need Shelters (SNS) and establishing (3)
on Standby. Costs estimated at $500,000 per week for each in
operation.
- Department of Health and Hospitals
(DHH): Opening (3) Shelters and establishing (3) on Standby.
Costs estimated at $500,000 per week for each in operation.
- LANG and the office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP): Providing generators
and support staff for SNS and Public Shelters. Costs estimated
to range from $250,000-$500,000 to support (6) Shelter generator
operations and personnel/equipment support.
- Louisiana State Police (LSP): Costs to support evacuations- $500,000
for a direct landfall.
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries (WLF): Costs to support evacuations - $500,000
for a direct landfall.
- Louisiana Department of Transportation
and Development (DOTD): Costs to support evacuations - $5,000,000
for a direct landfall.
Totals: $130,000,000
Estimated
Requirements for assistance under the Stafford Act:
Coordination
Technical
and advisory assistance
Debris removal
$30,000,000 (est.*)
Emergency
protective measures
$25,000,000 (est.*)
Individuals
and Households Program (IHP)
$75,000,000 (est*)
Distribution
of emergency supplies
Other (specify)
Totals:
$130,000,000
Grand Total:
$130,000,000
(*) Based
on Hurricane Isidore, Lili and Ivan (FEMA
1435, 1437, 1548)
Note: Estimates
are to reflect total eligible costs before any cost sharing.
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