Louisiana is donating up to 300 travel trailers, originally acquired for Hurricane Ida to assist flood survivors in Eastern Kentucky. Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) Director Casey Tingle, said the trailers are ones that have been returned to the state by Louisiana residents who’ve acquired permanent housing.
“We’re very happy to support them, we know what that looks like, and what that feels like to have so many of your residents impacted and out of their homes, from our flooding in 2016 and what we’ve seen with Hurricanes Laura and Ida,” said Tingle.
These are trailers that the state purchased to speed up the process for those who lost their homes after Ida, and FEMA then reimbursed the state. Tingle said there are some individuals who are working directly with FEMA on temporary housing in Louisiana.
“Under the state’s program we’ve probably wrapped up housing the last family sometime in April and all of our work at this point is helping them move forward, get back home, and helping them work through the recovery process,” said Tingle.
Kentucky is paying for transportation of the trailers to the Blue Grass State and as we enter the height of hurricane season, even though it’s been quiet so far, Tingle said an adequate number of trailers will remain in Louisiana just in case.
“We will have a number of available units that we’re going to retain and hold onto certainly through the next couple of seasons and we’re getting more units back every day from families that no longer need them,” said Tingle.
In late July, 39 people died in the Eastern Kentucky floods and thousands of families lost their homes and possessions.
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