ON THE PHONE IS STEVE SCALISE.
RANDI: WE DO KNOW THE PRESIDENT HAS APPROVED THE FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARATION FOR LOUISIANA AS LOUISIANA IS UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
EXPLAIN THE FEDERAL RESPONSE AND WHAT WILL BE NEEDED TO HELP US, ESPECIALLY IF LAURA DOES DAMAGE PART OF OUR STATE.
REP. SCALISE: YESTERDAY I WAS INTO MUNICATION, THEY ARE GETTING HUNKERED DOWN, PREPARING FOR WHAT IS COMING FROM MARCO AND LAURA.
THEY ARE PREPARING FOR THE WORST, AND PROBABLY A LOT OF RAIN, STARTING TODAY, AND MOVING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
THE PRESIDENT YESTERDAY APPROVED THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION, WHICH OPENS UP A LOT OF FEDERAL RESOURCES TO PREPARE AND ULTIMATELY IF THE STORM DOES DAMAGE, TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO
THAT DAMAGE.
FEMA IS READY TO GO, WORKING WITH THE STATE, AND THERE IS A LOT OF COORDINATION TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS PREPARED, STORM SYSTEMS, FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEMS ARE WORKING PROPERLY.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE TAKING BOTH OF THESE STORMS SERIOUSLY, AS THEY SHOULD, BECAUSE THEY CAN BOTH DO A LOT OF DAMAGE, ESPECIALLY THE RAIN DAMAGE.
YOU DON’T REALLY HAVE TIME, WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO, YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO REPAIR IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE LAURA COMING RIGHT BEHIND IT.
I THINK WE ARE ALL PREPARING FOR TWO STORMS AT THE SAME TIME.
IT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
I THINK EVERYONE IS TAKING THE RIGHT PRECAUTION AND DOING EVERYTHING AT THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL TO PROTECT PEOPLE.
CHRISTINA: YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS DISASTER DECLARATION WILL GIVE YOU EXTRA FEDERAL RESOURCES FOR OUR STATE.
TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THOSE RESOURCES, PLEASE.
REP. SCALISE: FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE LAYING SANDBAGS, GETTING THINGS PREPARED, IT COVERS ANY KIND OF OVERTIME, THE COSTS OF GETTING READY FOR A STORM.
THERE ARE A LOT OF COSTS INVOLVED.
EVEN IF THE STORM WERE NOT TO HIT, WHEN YOU DO PREPARATION, IT HAS A COST TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND IT IS REIMBURSED, AS WELL AS IF THERE IS DAMAGE FROM THE STORM, YOU ARE READY TO MARSHAL
THOSE RESOURCES QUICKLY TO PREPARE THE RESOURCES QUICKLY FOR FAMILIES THAT NEED SHELTER.
SOME OF THOSE ARE GETTING SET UP, EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, OR YOU HAVE TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WENT IN IN MANY CASES AND SET UP PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO EVACUATE, AND THOSE COSTS ARE COVERED COME AS WELL.
RANDI: TALK ABOUT THE LONG-TERM.
FOR DECADES, LEADERS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COASTLINE, HAVE CALLED FOR BETTER PROTECTION, THINGS LIKE THE LEVEES IN GRAND ISLE, THINGS THAT CAN BE MORE PERMEABLE AND
MORE PERMANENT STRUCTURES THAT CAN PROTECT A LOUISIANA COASTLINE.
WHAT IS BEING DONE ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO HELP LOUISIANA IN THE LONG TERM?
REP. SCALISE: I WAS MEETING WITH A MAYOR ABOUT A WEEK AND HALF AGO, TALKING ABOUT THIS EXACT ISSUE.
WE DID GET SOME FEDERAL MONEY TO HELP REPAIR THAT BURRITO LEVY, I DID -- LEVEE, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT ONE OF THOSE WAS.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE DAMAGE AND COASTAL EROSION, WE WORKED TO REPAIR THE COAST.
THE BURRITO LEVEE IS A UNIQUE IDEA THAT CAME UP WITH IN GRAND ISLE.
WE ARE WORKING TO REPAIR RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE SOME LONG-TERM CHANGES THE MAYOR IS WORKING ON AND I AM WORKING WITH HIM SO WE CAN TRY TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL FEDERAL MONEY FOR A STRONGER FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR GRAND
ISLE.
GRAND ISLE IS NOT JUST IMPORTANT TO THE ISLAND, IT IS THE FRONT BARRIER FOR SO MUCH OF THE REST OF THE REGION, JEFFERSON PARISH, NEW ORLEANS.
YOU LOOK TOWARD TERREBONNE AND LAFOURCHE PARISHES, THEY HAVE A SYSTEM THEY ARE WORKING ON.
THEY ARE WORKING ON AN EVACUATION ROUTE FOR SO MUCH OF LAFOURCHE PARISH AND TERREBONNE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE FUNDING TO FINISH THAT PROJECT, A LONG-TERM GOAL WE WERE TRYING
TO DO FOR YEARS.
OVER ALL THE WAY, WHETHER IT IS ST. BERNARD, PLAQUEMINES OR ST.
TAMMANY, THERE ARE DIFFERENT FLOOD PROTECTION SYSTEMS WE ARE WORKING ON TO HELP THOSE COMMUNITIES BE EVEN STRONGER.
EVERY PARISH HAS THEIR OWN PLAN, BUT THEY ARE WORKING THROUGH THE STATEWIDE PLAN.
THERE IS A REALLY GOOD PLAN THE STATE HAS THAT WE CAN HELP FUND AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL,.
RANDI: REPRESENTATIVE STEVE SCALISE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON