KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana |Congressman Boustany tours Cameron

Congressman Boustany tours Cameron

By Lee Peck - bio | email

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - Fresh off the campaign trail, Congressman Charles Boustany is back at work. Boustany met with Cameron Parish officials Wednesday afternoon to talk about post Ike concerns. More than two months after the storm, they find themselves fighting a battle they've fought before when it comes to re-imbursement on debris removal, demolition and emergency services.

"The funding is like 75-25 and we don't know what that's going to be. It's pretty costly to do but we can't really get our volunteers back until we get the housing situation under control," said Cameron OEP Director Clifton Hebert.  

Hebert says temporary housing is by far the number one concern. He say's FEMA's new digital flood insurance rate maps determine that 85 percent of lower Cameron is a V-flood zone, excluding the parish from federal housing assistance, leading some to pitch tents.

"We need to reassess this. This is a matter of survival for the heartland of Southwest Louisiana, " said Congressman Boustany. "We've got to get folks back into temporary housing until they can get into permanent housing we have to rebuild this economy, get businesses and a tax base coming back."

Others can't stay away. After being denied a FEMA trailer, Lorraine Dyson and her husband purchased their own travel trailer. It's now where their mobile home stood before Hurricane Ike. With no insurance, she's not sure of their next move.

"It's up in the air what we're going to do, but with the good Lord's help we'll make it. We always have," said Dyson. 

Meanwhile work continues to get Cameron's broken school district back on track by December 15th. Cameron Schools Superintendent Stephanie Rodrigue says temporary classrooms are three quarters of the way installed at South Cameron High School. Meanwhile units began arriving at Johnson Bayou Wednesday afternoon. Rodrigue worries with the new DIFIRM Maps they won't get re-imbursed.

"Last Tuesday we learned that FEMA was not going to reimburse us the cost of both facilities, combined it's approximately six million dollars," explained Rodrigue. 

As the parish appeals FEMA's ruling on the maps and flood zones, Boustany says he's heading back to Washington with these concerns. A soon to be new Washington with a newly elected president and Democratic-controlled Congress.

"I've been successful in working in the minority in Congress as well as when we are the majority and I am going to continue to work as hard as I can for these folks, because these are the folks I represent."

Folks who now need help from Washington more than ever.

Boustany heads back to Washington next week. While there he hopes he and other members of the delegation can meet with FEMA's director to resolve some of these issues.