PLAUCHEVILLE, La. (KLFY)– Communities across Southern Avoyelles Parish are transitioning from rescue operations to recovery weeks after floodwaters inundated the region.
The Plaucheville Community Center is now serving as a Disaster Recovery Center and is now connecting flood survivors with essential resources from agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The center aims to help residents rebuild their lives in the months ahead.
The Disaster Recovery Center serves as a central hub where flood survivors can apply for assistance, ask questions and learn about various federal, state and local programs for which they may qualify. It provides a single location to interact with multiple organizations dedicated to supporting the long-term recovery efforts in the parish.
Gabriel Perales, an official with the U.S. Small Business Administration, urged affected residents to visit the center promptly.
“Come to the disaster center as soon as possible,” Perales said. “There are federal resources, local resources, state resources that are all here. We encourage everybody to come and apply to all the resources that are available in hopes of being able to rebuild back as quickly as possible.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency advised that even those who have already started cleanup or repairs should still apply for assistance. Nate Custer, a FEMA spokesperson, recommended keeping receipts and photos of damage to aid in the application process.
“If you had anyone do that…If you hired anyone…Save those receipts and we will certainly take a look at that,” Custer said. “So you don’t have to wait totally to get some work underway. You don’t have to wait totally until you hear back from FEMA.”
For many residents, recovery extends beyond home repairs to regaining normalcy. Kevin Knoct, a Dupont resident, noted that he and his 80-year-old mother remain displaced.
“My mom, she’s 80 years old and I take care of her,” Knoct said. “Just trying to get help now, you know, to to rebuild and get life going back again.”
Knoct expressed hope that the available assistance would facilitate their progress.
Officials continue to encourage all residents impacted by the flooding to utilize the available assistance as recovery efforts progress across Southern Avoyelles Parish. Multiple organizations are maintaining their relief efforts to help the community move forward. Reporting by Bailey Liebert, KLFY News 10.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.