St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard says the as of Saturday, the parish has declared a state of emergency.
This emergency is in response to the damage from the April 9-10 storm and tornado that passed through the area.
The official declaration, Bellard says, will be filed on Monday with the Clerk of Courts office. Right now, they ask that residents who received damage, make reports to the state . Doing so, he says will make sure that St. Landry Parish residents can receive assistance.
On Satuday April 10, an EF3 tornado touched down near Palmetto, killing one person and injuring seven. On Sunday, Bellard says that two people are still in the hospital stable condition, one could possibly have surgery but they have sustained non life-threatening injuries.
The other five, he says, are moving around now and cleaning up their properties.
Bellard says they parish has stepped up following the disaster.
"You should see the people out here today, going through the rubbish and picking up whatever they can salvage after this disaster," he said in a video on Facebook.
Residents who had a home or business damaged due to this weekend's severe weather or the Plametto tornado are asked to complete an online Damage Assessment Form at damage.la.gov.
Officials say the information not only documents the impact of the storm on individuals, families, and businesses; it also assists the parish in qualifying for future federal funding.
To complete the form online, visit damage.la.gov.
Sunday afternoon, crews began salvaging damaged homes and placing tarps roofs with the help of trustees and parish government employees.
"Get online, file your claim, call our office and we will do whatever we can to assist. Take the pictures and document document document," Bellard urged.
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