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Every spring the Mississippi River floods, but the downtown area of Davenport Iowa refuses to build a levee system to hold the waters back. It would block the river view. Some years the waters come several blocks up the banks and flood out local businesses.
Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash

The devastating floods that struck Texas in July provide an example of how emergency management and intergovernmental coordination operate under extreme conditions. As torrential rainfall triggered catastrophic flooding across multiple counties beginning on July 2, the response highlighted disaster response systems at the county, state, and federal levels.

The emergency response began at the state level with proactive measures, marked by warnings to state emergency response teams to be prepared. On July 2, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) activated state emergency response resources in anticipation of increased flooding threats in parts of West and Central Texas. As conditions worsened, TDEM escalated its response on July 3, increasing the readiness level of the Texas State Emergency Operations Center to Level II (escalated response) and activating additional state emergency response resources as portions of West and Central Texas prepared for continued heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding.Continue Reading Texas Floods Emergency Response: A Review of Intergovernmental Emergency Coordination

The IRS announced victims of Hurricane Ida now have until Jan. 3, 2022, to file various individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. This relief extends to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as qualifying for individual or public assistance. This includes the entire state of Louisiana, and taxpayers in certain Ida-impacted localities designated by FEMA in neighboring states, including southern Mississippi, will also receive the same filing and payment relief.

The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred starting on Aug. 26, 2021, for Louisiana taxpayers, and Aug. 28, 2021, for certain Mississippi taxpayers. As a result of the relief, affected individuals and businesses will have until Jan. 3, 2022, to file various tax returns and pay various taxes that were originally due during this period. This means individuals and businesses, who had a valid extension to file their 2020 federal income tax returns, will now have until Jan. 3, 2022, to file their 2020 federal income tax returns. The IRS noted, however, that because tax payments related to these 2020 returns were due earlier in 2021, those payments are not eligible for this relief.Continue Reading Tax Relief Available to Victims of Hurricane Ida

Houston residents who suffered damage in Harvey and have not applied for FEMA or SBA assistance must do so by Thursday.

The deadline to apply for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Small Business Administration (SBA) is Thursday, November 30th.  Residents who sustained damage during Harvey must apply by the deadline…

City of Houston Opens Pilot Neighborhood Restoration Center in Northeast Houston for Harvey Flood Survivors

The City of Houston, along with local non-profit organization partners, opened the first Neighborhood Restoration Center at the Kashmere Multi-Service Center on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 as part of a pilot program aimed at connecting Houstonians affected by Harvey with…

The disaster wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria has also occasioned a flood of federal relief dollars into the areas impacted. Projects seeking federal funding must meet a variety of legal requirements, each of which warrant separate analysis. Here, we discuss a single federal construction contract requirement and how it has changed in light…

Louisiana’s legal community has grown accustom to offering pro bono legal assistance to Louisiana storm victims. After addressing foremost concerns like shelter, food, water, and clothing, disaster victims are left to grapple with more intricate setbacks like insurance claims and FEMA appeals, landlord-tenant disputes, contractor fraud and contract disputes, custody and domestic disagreements, consumer issues, …

A federal disaster declaration has been issued in Louisiana for Orleans and Livingston Parishes following the tornadoes and severe storms that hit South Louisiana on February 7, 2017. The declaration was issued on February 11, 2017, by President Donald Trump upon the request of Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.

FEMA individual assistance will be available…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) has issued another extension to policyholders under the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”) to file a proof of loss with supporting documentation for claims related to the August 2016 flooding.

Under the new extension, announced by FEMA on December 2, 2016, policyholders will now have a total of 180…

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has denied relief to more than 2,500 disaster victims from the August 2016 flooding in Louisiana because of insufficient proof of homeownership. “Thousands of people live in homes that they don’t own outright because properties were passed on to family members without successions,” the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF) …