BATON ROUGE — President Biden approved Louisiana's request for a major disaster declaration late Monday night, allowing those most impacted by Hurricane Francine to apply for federal assistance.

Thanks to the declaration, residents of the following parishes are eligible to apply for either individual or public assistance:
- Ascension Parish
- Assumption Parish
- Lafourche Parish
- St. Charles Parish
- St. James Parish
- St. John the Baptist Parish
- St. Mary Parish
- Terrebonne Parish

A one-time, $750 payment per household to help pay for essential items is available, as well as displacement assistance funds for those who cannot return to their home because of the disaster. The money can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends, or for other options while you look for temporary housing.

Both forms of assistance are funded after a completed inspection confirms eligibility.

To apply for FEMA, homeowners and renters can go online to disasterassistance.gov, download the FEMA App for mobile devices or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The following are needed to apply: 
- A current phone number where you can be contacted
- Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying
- Your Social Security number
- A general list of damage and losses
- Banking information if you choose direct deposit
- If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name

To apply for assistance, click here.

Following Biden's declaration, Ascension Parish announced that they would be offering roadside debris pickup services, expanding debris pickup from the previously in-use public dumpsters in Gonzales and Donaldsonville.

"Today we've been in contact with FEMA and with our debris removal contract. So everyone is out in Ascension Parish, assessing, they're gonna report back to our office this afternoon," Ascension Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Rachael Wilkinson said.

The department says they'll have a plan by Wednesday for debris pickup.

"So what we're pushing out to our residents is we want you to push your debris, your vegetative debris and construction demolitions. Separate that into two piles and have that at the roadside, at the right of way," Wilkinson said.

The debris team will not pick up household trash, she added. They will also only accept items in clear bags so workers know what is inside. 

"We cannot accept anything in black bags," Wilkinson said.

The parish also has a separate team flying drones over the waterways that will collect data and report it back to officials.

The parish's administration has also put together a website to register for residents. You can find the link here https://arcg.is/8XPTj 

If residents have additional questions, they are encouraged to contact the parish's Citizen Service Center at 225-450-1200. 

Livingston Parish is asking residents to refrain from putting debris aside for roadway pickup. Parish President Randy Delatte said that the parish has not received FEMA approval for a major declaration, which would include roadside debris removal.

The federal assistance will help cover the cost of home repairs, temporary housing and uninsured property losses. 

On Sept. 10, President Biden approved an emergency declaration request ahead of Francine's landfall. 

On social media, Congressman Garrett Graves praised Biden for approving the request and urged FEMA officials to ensure the money gets to residents quickly.

"This declaration is welcome news, but the assistance needs to be quick and impactful, not tangled up in the already slow Ida recovery," Graves said.

Congressman Troy Carter also applauded the Biden Administration for the move.

"I am extremely grateful to President Joe Biden for issuing this additional declaration, which will provide much-needed recovery assistance to these hardest-hit parishes. This aid is vital for helping our communities rebuild and move forward," Carter said.