TOMORROW on Thursday, September 15, 2016, U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, will hold a hearing entitled, “An Examination of the Federal Response and Resources for Louisiana Flood Victims.”
The flooding in South Louisiana this August is considered to be one of the worst U.S. natural disasters in history and the most significant natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy. Thirteen individuals were killed in the flooding disaster, and nearly 146,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, a majority of which were outside of designated flood zones and therefore, not required to have flood insurance.
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-La.) will join the Committee as ex-officio members. The hearing will be streamed live here.
During the hearing, Members of the Committee will examine the initial response to the disaster and discuss the federal resources that are available to many communities in South Louisiana that were devastated by the August flooding disaster. During the hearing, Members will explore coordination efforts between the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Department of Health and Urban Development (HUD) to ensure that recovery efforts are as effective as possible for this ongoing disaster.
Witnesses include:
Hon. Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of U.S. Small Business Administration
Representative Clay Schexnayder, Louisiana House of Representatives, Owner and Manager of Car Craft Automotive
Mr. Ron Erickson Sr., President/CEO of City of Central Chamber
Mr. Patrick Mulhearn, Executive Director of Celtic Studios
Vitter had invited FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to testify before the Committee, but Fugate refused to attend tomorrow’s hearing. Considering FEMA’s important role in disaster recovery and that the Louisiana flooding is one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history, Vitter will follow-up with FEMA in order to receive an update on its recovery efforts for Louisiana flood victims. Click here to read more.
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