Disaster Declaration for Lafayette Approved Following May Floods

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday that President Joe Biden’s administration has  approved the state's request for a major disaster declaration after flash flooding in mid-May damaged several thousand homes and left five people dead.

Edwards says residents in five parishes - Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Iberville and Lafayette - are now eligible to apply for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Edwards said the quick approval of his request will go a long way to help thousands recover.