MORGAN CITY, L.a. — A new hub for Hurricane Ida survivors has popped up in Morgan City.
Patrick Boland, a spokesperson for FEMA, told KATC that the organization has 16 disaster recovery centers spread across southeast Louisiana, however, he says this one that opened on Sunday is a bit different.
"This DRC center comes in with more equipment, right, so the DSA teams that are out there are able to help people out there get in an application, explain things to them, find out what their needs are," he said. "And they can make phone calls -- certainly get them immediate assistance if it's needed."
Boland noted that people are often better off working one-on-one and in-person for things like this, rather than on the phone.
Honoria Trujillo is a survivor of Hurricane Ida. She said that she and her family evacuated from their home in Houma in preparation for Ida's landfall and they just got back on Thursday. Having no power, water, or internet connection, the family was unable to get the help they needed -- that is, until today.
"It's hard to see how we survive, you know, no light no water, you know, nothing, it's hard," Trujillo said. "I never thought I would ever be like this with a hurricane, you know, the damage, I never, this is my first time."
The damage, Trujillo told KATC, was not only to her home but to her business.
"The four trees come into the house, and the roof in the store, we have a store in Houma and the roofing come off too," she said. "And they, uh, our stores, where we got all the foods and everything, they are stolen."
Trujillo said the paperwork at the Morgan City DRC took about four hours to complete. She noted this was a small price to pay to get the help she and her family desperately need.
"We live in one room," Trujillo told KATC. "Because the messed up half of the house and the other half is still -- we can't stay in the same room with my kids and, well, we good now."
As for when she expects to get an update on her application for assistance, Trujillo said she isn't sure. However, Boland said that this should take no more than two weeks to process.
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