Flood Recovery Resources

We will continue communications as information becomes available -- please reach out to our team if you have information to share. 

Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide

Download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide. 

Receive Business Assistance

Rebirth Fund Launched for Small Businesses

Effective August 24, One Acadiana announced a partnership with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI); The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC); Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.); the Louisiana chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB); and the Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (LACCE) to establish the Louisiana Small Business Rebirth Fund.

The Rebirth Fund was created to provide small grants to support the thousands of small businesses impacted by the historic flooding in Acadia, Ascension, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jeff Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Point Coupee, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, and West Feliciana parishes.

Eligible small businesses must be located within one of the 20 parishes included in the federal disaster declaration area, have 50 or fewer employees, and have been in business on August 10, 2016.

Those interested in contributing to the Louisiana Small Business Rebirth Fund are encouraged to visit www.LaBizRebirth.org for additional information.

Business Recovery Center in Lafayette

Effective August 22, 2015, a Business Recovery Center will open in Lafayette Parish to provide a one-stop location for flood-affected businesses to access a variety of specialized help. Specialists from SBA and LSBDC will be available to meet individually with each business owner.

SBA representatives will be available to:

• Provide counseling on a wide variety of matters designed to help small business owners re-establish their operations, overcome the effects of the disaster and plan for their future
• Assess business economic injury and evaluate the business's strength and cash flow projections
• Answer questions about SBA's disaster loan program, explain the application process, and help each business owner complete their application
• Provide a review of all options to ensure each business makes decisions that are appropriate for its situation

No appointment is necessary. All services are provided free of charge.

Lafayette Location:
Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE)

Suite 239
537 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70506



Opens 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 22

Mondays – Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sundays, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Youngsville Location:
Gulf Coast Bank
3000 E. Milton Ave.
Youngsville, LA 70592

Opens 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13
Mondays - Thursdays, 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Fridays, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

• Business owners may also apply online using SBA's secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela or get help from SBA representatives at any Disaster Recovery Center in Louisiana.
• Disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA's Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
• Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call (800) 877‑8339.
• For more disaster assistance information or to download applications, visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster.
• Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155

FEMA Recovery Resources

Effective August 16th, 2016, the federal declaration for the state of Louisiana has been updated to include the following eight (8) Acadiana parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Jeff Davis, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Vermilion.

Businesses and individuals seeking assistance should register with FEMA by doing one of the following:

• Calling 800-621-FEMA (800-621-3362) 
• Applying at disasterassistance.gov
• Downloading the FEMA app

Data needs to be collected to trigger declarations. Businesses are encouraged to document damage, compile receipts, and be prepared to make damage claims. 

Be prepared to provide the name of property owner, address of damaged property, if the property is covered by flood insurance, the amount of water in the building and approximate cost to repair to pre-flood condition.

If you currently have flood insurance, contact your insurance company for guidance on filing a claim. Take photos of all damage to property prior to repairs or cleanup. Save all receipts for work done and all materials purchased.

Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center (LA BEOC)

The Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center (LA BEOC) is activated and assisting the state with the response and recovery of the current historic flooding event.  

Visit labeoc.org for up-to-date disaster-specific communications from the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP). 

Register your business to receive assistance and important news alerts as well as become a part of the state's resource list during recovery. 

For additional questions, please contact Michael Dunaway at (337) 482-0627 or mdunaway@louisiana.edu.

Small Business Recovery Guide

Resources are available to help reopen your business and make progress through long-term recovery.

Click here to view the disaster recovery guide.

SBA Disaster Loans

The deadline to apply for SBA Physical Damage Disaster Loans has been extended to November 14, 2016.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans are also available, with a deadline of May 15, 2017

SBA’s Disaster Loan Program is not exclusively for small businesses. These low-interest, long-term loans are available for damage to private property owned by individuals, families, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofits not fully covered by insurance. While property owners usually have some insurance coverage, often it does not cover all losses or even the type of hazard that caused the damage. And that’s where a disaster loan comes into play.

Read more about eligibility and application. Make sure to file with FEMA first!

Small Business Development Center Ready Alerts

Text READY to (318) 769-9921 to receive access to the latest news and information about recovery resources for small business owners and entrepreneurs affected by the recent flooding

Also visit lsbdc.org/ready to subscribe and customize your subscription to receive updates pertaining to a specific geographic area

Tax Relief

The Internal Revenue Service announced Louisiana storm victims will have until Jan. 17, 2017, to file certain individual and business tax returns and make certain tax payments. All workers assisting the relief activities who are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization also qualify for relief.

The IRS said that affected taxpayers in the designated parishes will receive tax relief and other special tax relief.

The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred starting on Aug. 11, 2016. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Jan. 17, 2017 to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period. This includes the Sept. 15 deadline for making quarterly estimated tax payments. For individual tax filers, it also includes 2015 income tax returns that received a tax-filing extension until Oct. 17, 2016.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue has announced that Louisiana taxpayers can find FAQs about the tax implications of disaster recovery along with information about flood-related filing and payment extensions at www.revenue.louisiana.gov/flood.

Need Temporary Office Space?

One Acadiana, UL Lafayette, LEDA and LITE are teaming up to provide FREE temporary office space that will be set up at the LITE Center, located at 537 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, LA. This support will come with a shared office space with workspace and Internet connectivity available for businesses. The University will also make available Abdalla Hall and the Picard Center, located in the University Research Park, if needed. 

For more information, please contact Heidi Melancon, director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at (337) 482-6312 or hmelancon@lsbdc.org.

Additional temporary office space options are available through 1A members. If you would like more information, or have office space available to offer, contact simone@oneacadiana.org.

Receive Personal Assistance

United Way of Acadiana is managing all volunteer and donation efforts to match needs with available resources.

For those in need of assistance, dial 2-1-1. 

Visit unitedwayofacadiana.org for more information about relief and recovery efforts.

Donate and Volunteer

 

United Way of Acadiana

United Ways throughout Acadiana have partnered together to create the Greater United Way Disaster Relief Fund. Each United Way is accepting donations and volunteers to assist those impacted by flooding. 

You can GIVE here to directly impact flood relief.

You can register here to VOLUNTEER for emerging needs. 

Community Foundation of Acadiana

Donations from individuals, corporations, and others may be made online at cfacadiana.org via a unique portal sponsored by Acadian Companies. 

Checks may also be made payable and mailed to Community Foundation of Acadiana (Memo: Acadiana Disaster Response Fund), 1035 Camellia Blvd., Suite 100, Lafayette, LA  70508.

The Daily Advertiser

The Daily Advertiser is working hard to connect shelters around Acadiana who are in need of supplies and volunteers looking to donate directly to them. If you have information on anyone in need, please leave a comment on their Facebook page with their contact information.

The Daily Advertiser is also accepting donations at its office on 1100 Bertrand Drive today. Right now, items most in need are: food, water, toilet paper, baby items and boxes of any size for packing supplies.

American Red Cross

The Louisiana Region of the Red Cross serves the 4.65 million residents in the 64-parish state, while supporting others across the country and around the world.

Impact lives by DONATING now.

Key Contacts

• For Emergencies: 9-1-1
• Louisiana State Police: 225-925-6325 or *LSP from any cell phone
• FEMA: 1-800-621-3362 or Disasterassistance.gov
• Louisiana Department of Transportation (DOTD) - Real-time road closures: www.511la.org
• United Way of Acadiana: 337-233-8302; for immediate assistance dial 2-1-1 
• American Red Cross: 1-866-GET- INFO (1-866-438-4636)
• Consumer Protection Hotline: 1-800-351-4889
• Cleco Corporation: 1-800-622-6537
• Entergy: 1-800-ENTERGY; Power Outages: 1-800-9OUTAGE
• Slemco: 1-888-2SLEMCO (1-888-275-3626)
• LUS: Power Outages: 337-291-9200

1A is ready and able to provide help to businesses who may need assistance. For questions, concerns, and to share information on resources, please contact rhyan@oneacadiana.org.

For access to member and investor companies who may be able to assist you in your recovery efforts, visit our business directory.