BATON ROUGE – FEMA issued a Monday morning press release, stating that homeowners and renters in Caddo, La Salle and St. Landry Parishes are now eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance for uninsured and underinsured damage as well as losses resulting from Hurricane Laura.

To be eligible for federal disaster aid, storm damage and losses from the hurricane and flooding must have occurred as a result of Hurricane Laura from Aug. 22 to Aug. 27.

Eighteen parishes were previously included in the federal declaration to help homeowners and renters. They are Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lincoln, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Sabine, Union, Vermilion, Vernon and Winn parishes.

Survivors should file a claim with their insurance company at the same time as they apply to FEMA. Save yourself time, if you have insurance, you must file a claim.

Those with phone or Internet access can may register via:

• DisasterAssistance.gov
• The FEMA app

• Telephone: 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

For the latest information on Hurricane Laura, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4559 or follow the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at twitter.com/FEMARegion6.