58,952 homes report Isaac damage

The Jindal administration announced Friday that door-to-door inspections show 58,952 homes suffered damage from Hurricane Isaac.

Homes in St. John the Baptist and Plaquemines parishes had the most severe damage following heavy flooding. More than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish were damaged.

Not included in the assessment are homeowners who did not register for the federal government’s help with storm damage.

Isaac swept through Louisiana in late August as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm’s slow crawl unleashed sustained rain and winds, pushing water into homes.

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said the Federal Emergency Management Agency conducted more than 120,000 home inspections.

The majority of housing inspections have been completed.

“We’ll continue to support parish leaders in their efforts to help communities recover from this devastating storm and will continue to advocate for residents who find themselves without homes as a result of Isaac,” GOHSEP director Kevin Davis said.

Of the 46,663 owner-occupied homes with damage, 2,055 had damage exceeding $20,000. For renters, 3,516 lived in homes that sustained substantial or major damage.

Inspectors found the largest number of homes with damage in Jefferson Parish. However, the heaviest damage was in St. John the Baptist Parish, where 1,220 owner-occupied homes sustained more than $20,000 in damage. In Plaquemines Parish, 411 owner-occupied homes were in that category.

Locally:

• 1,112 homes in Ascension Parish were damaged.
• 2,453 homes in Livingston Parish were damaged.
• Only one owner-occupied home in East Baton Rouge Parish sustained more than $20,000 in damage. Eighty renter-occupied homes sustained substantial or major damage.

Orleans and Jefferson parishes accounted for 15,365 of the storm-damaged homes.

FEMA has approved $90.1 million in grants for temporary housing and other expenses.

The agency can grant assistance to residents in 21 parishes with uninsured losses to homes, vehicles and businesses. Approved parishes are Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington and West Feliciana.