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This is the first part of a Fox News Digital Originals series on residents’ continued struggle to recover from the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida in southern Louisiana.
Since Hurricane Ida ravaged his small town in Louisiana, David Camardelle has called FEMA a “missing federal emergency.”
The storm made landfall on August 29 with winds reaching 150 mph near Port Fourchon, about 10 miles southwest of Grand Isle and Camardelle’s home. A month later, dozens of residents whose homes were destroyed are living in communal shelters and lacking the resources to begin reconstruction.
Grand Isle, the state’s last inhabited barrier island, is home to approximately 1,000 full-time residents. It is also part of the Parish of Jefferson, which includes the New Orleans metropolitan area.
“It’s just taking awhile,” Camardelle said, shouting over the sounds of a generator still needed to power Grand Isle Town Hall.
HURRICANE IDA CAUSES GENERAL DEVASTATION IN LOUISIANA AND NEW ORLEANS IN THE DARK
Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle (R) (left) speaks to local leaders in his office damaged by Hurricane Ida.
“Joe Biden and the whole administration are doing their best, but until then someone’s papers are sitting on a desk,” Camardelle, the town’s Democratic mayor, told Fox News. “You don’t need 20 people, 25 people between a FEMA trailer to give you the keys.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has just announced “temporary solutions” to provide housing options in areas hardest hit by the storm, including recreational vehicles. The September 30 announcement came a week after Fox News met with local leaders in the Jefferson Ward and the same day Fox News reached out to the agency for comment.
“To help address the shortage of accommodation and housing options in Southeast Louisiana, the state is implementing temporary solutions, including a non-collective accommodation program using recreational vehicles (RVs). ), such as travel trailers, ”the FEMA press release said. “Non-collective shelters are places where a person or family can live safely with a certain level of privacy. “
“This program will focus on the hardest-hit parishes, providing immediate housing assistance until FEMA’s direct housing program is fully underway,” the statement continued.
FEMA also said a call center will open early next week for residents interested in the state-run accommodation option. No schedule is provided for the arrival of RVs.
Jefferson Ward leaders said on Friday morning they had not received any of the long-term trailers requested immediately after the storm, despite dozens of residents still living in shelters.
FEMA does not expect the first long-term trailers to be delivered until mid-late November. However, the agency told Fox News it was paying for hotel stays for 1,661 households in Jefferson Ward. FEMA also said it provides rental assistance to help people relocate.
“These are people, especially if you didn’t have insurance, you’re going to want to rebuild your house, you want to be on your property,” Jefferson Ward president Cynthia Lee Sheng told Fox News. “You cannot be at a hotel in another part of the state or in another state.”
“And that’s what people have to do, is start to get their lives back by rebuilding their homes, and they have to be on their property to do it,” continued Lee Sheng.
Lower Jefferson Parish is home to approximately 10,000 people, many of whom are commercial fishermen and local business owners.
“I’m not mean to anyone,” Camardelle, mayor since 1997, told Fox News. “But someone’s not telling the boss the right information.”
“They’re just sitting there… they’re taking a bath, they’re eating fine in another state, and they have no idea,” Camardelle continued.
Just south of New Orleans, in Jean Lafitte, locals are still digging their homes.
“Twenty-five percent of our voters became homeless overnight,” Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner Jr. told Fox News. “50% can’t live in their house for long, more than 50%. “
“This community has been devastated… it’s heartbreaking,” he continued. “Right now it’s about having a roof over their heads and also trying to work out when they can feed their families.”
While driving through the city, garbage, debris, boats and even a coffin can be seen on the side of the road. The conditions only deteriorate as you drive south.
A coffin moved after Hurricane Ida lies on the road outside of Jean Lafitte, Louisiana.
“I’ve been back here for 25 years, it’s the worst it has ever been,” said a commercial fisherman lining up to get supplies from a local charity. “I haven’t seen any help yet, I applied for FEMA, I haven’t seen anything yet. But I feel it’s coming.”
FEMA reports that since Hurricane Ida, nearly 500,000 people and households have received assistance worth more than $ 660 million. However, residents of Jefferson Parish say dealing with FEMA is a struggle.
“Every time I have dealt with FEMA it was painful,” a local restaurant owner named David told Fox News. “I mean, I never made it.”
“You know, you wait, you wait, there’s nothing but paperwork, and you never really get anything accomplished,” he continued. “At least that’s my experience.
Jefferson Parish At-Large Councilor Ricky Templet told Fox News: “The federal government will spend millions and billions of dollars to save the habitat of a green frog. billions and millions of dollars to save a spotted owl habitat. “
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“It’s time we started to see how we are saving our habitat and putting our money where our mouth is,” he continued. “Either way, you know, these communities are part of America, the state of Louisiana, or they’re not.”
Julie Erny, who owns a home in Grand Isle, said she only had one message for President Biden and FEMA: “Remember us, because we are still in pain.”
FEMA said all survivors in need of immediate housing can text LAShelter at 898211 or dial 2-1-1 to locate shelter.
Rebekah Castor contributed to this report.
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