Senator Bill Cassidy Visits Houma Disaster Relief Center

Senator Bill Cassidy visited the Houma Terrebonne Civic center today where a Disaster Recovery Center is set up.

Senator Cassidy told the times that the goal of the trip is to learn as much as he can from the people from the front lines to learn how they can respond be better than what it has been, then hopefully bring a solution to what he has learned. From several conversations today, the Senator said he has learned that people in the southern parts of the parish do not have the same access to resources to assistance as people in the northern part do. He said he spoke to FEMA, which has been open with the senator, and they are willing to obtain mobile units to meet the people where they are. He said in one sense, it has been a success, because he has heard a commitment from FEMA that they are already working on the project.

One problem everyone is noticing is people who are still staying in homes with no roofs, makeshift homes, tents, and temporary shelters who are not willing to leave due to the risk of looting. They simply don’t want to lose what they have left. Although it would be a long-term solution, Senator Cassidy suggested pods be deployed to those who need it to be able to store items, be locked, and the residents would be able to relocate to a safer environment. He said he spoke to a pastor who is currently storing his property in Columbus, Mississippi, and he knows not everyone has access to the equipment and facilities needed for this type of solution, “Not everybody has that ability to truck their stuff up and then back home,” he said, “ So, part of the solution may be to have the state or federal government have a bunch of PODS to deploy, and then take back when they are finished.” He said it’s not something that will stay with the residents permanently, and they will be easily recycled for natural disasters. He said it will lower the overall expenses and he is planning to go to the Governor and GOSHEP to suggest the program. “I now know the problem,” he said, I can imagine the solution. My job is to work with others to implement that solution, which may not come from the federal government, it may come down from the state government, but that’s okay. Because whoever can bring relief, that’s where we need to bring them relief.”

The senator recognizes that there’s a large need for temporary housing. Terrebonne Parish Gordy Dove was present and he shared they are beginning to deploy travel trailers. The senator also confirmed FEMA is in the process of site selection so they can further deploy for temporary housing. He said there’s a conversation with the faith-based community and there are volunteers from around the country that want to come to help muck out, get rid of marsh grass, and strip walls, but they simply don’t have a place to stay. This showcases that temporary housing is needed not only for residents but also for relief workers that would come to further along with help recovery. “It’s an issue that has begun to be addressed, but we have a long way to go,” he said. He noted that they need to have the ability to provide permanent housing built that meets coastal hurricane code that’s also affordable for people. “That’s one of the things we’re thinking about,” he said, “Not right now, but for the down the road, because that’s how you rebuild a community.”

Senator Cassidy also sang praises when it came to the parish’s infrastructure that proved to protect Terrebonne Parish residents. “This parish shows that if willing to step forward to build resiliency to protect the people that are here…we need more of that,” he said. He said it saves the federal taxpayer money, as well as locals if we invest in resiliency now rather than later. Not just for flooding, he said, but also for the grid. He reiterated that we need to continue to build resiliency to maintain our communities, to have an area that a business can move into and employ people, and not fear of having that investment destroyed.

Senator Cassidy knows that the process of recovery can be frustrating for residents. “I have nothing but gratitude for fellow Americans, who come from around the country, to help other fellow Americans,” he said. Cassidy said that people tend to think of FEMA, or SBA, as organizations, but they are just fellow Americans doing the best they can while following rules. He said some rules make it hard for things to happen quickly, so hopefully, they can change those rules. When it comes to obtaining assistance, he said “If someone is stuck they can contact our office. We will help.” He encouraged people to contact his office so they can try to help cut through the people to whom people need to speak to in order to get the resources to address immediate needs. “I can’t promise it always works,” he said, “but I can promise you we’re always going to work to make it work.”