Louisiana woman receives $148 in FEMA assistance for hurricane damage, says it’s not enough
ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY) — A Louisiana woman said only received $148 in FEMA assistance after her home was damaged by Hurricane Laura and Delta and now she is questioning why.
“The porch was damaged. The steps were damaged. The hot water tank was damaged. The well was damaged,” Aline Hebert said.
Flooding and roof damage from the hurricanes also left Hebert’s home with water leaks.
When she applied for FEMA assistance for both storms she only received $148.
“That’s it. They told me to repeal it, and I repealed it and never heard nothing,” she added.
Hebert says she’s reached out for more assistance but was denied more relief.
“It don’t make no sense. What is Governor Edwards doing with the money to help people? I don’t know what to do no more,” she told NewsNation affiliate KLFY.
She said FEMA assistance kept her afloat after Hurricane Rita. She doesn’t understand what’s changed this time.
“I mean we’re in America. We ought to be helped when a disaster comes around because they did it for Rita,” she said. “The minute it hit, we had motels. We had everything. Now we don’t have nothing.”
Hebert says she’s now just waiting and hoping that more assistance will come soon.
“I don’t know what’s next for me. I don’t know,” she said.
FEMA spokeswoman Lenisha Smith says Hebert has followed the right steps including filing for an appeal.
She says if they or anyone who has gone through these steps and have not heard back from FEMA, they should go to a drive thru FEMA disaster recovery center and talk with FEMA representatives there about their problem.