Emergency Information & Resources

Pennington Employee Assistance Fund

September 3, 2021

Dear Pennington Biomedical Family,

While the power is beginning to be restored and the recovery efforts are ongoing, there are many of our co-workers, friends and colleagues at the Center who have been affected by Hurricane Ida and need assistance.

Thank you to those who completed the needs assessment and have volunteered time, effort and supplies to help. We will continue trying to match resources and needs that way but have also reopened the portal to the Pennington Employee Assistance Fund which we established after the 2016 floods. Effective immediately, monetary donations may be accepted through the link below. If you are able to contribute, I encourage you to do so. If you are in need and are interested in applying for an employee assistance grant (up to $500), the application portal will be opened later next week. An announcement will be sent at that time.

https://employees1st.org/pbrc

I am proud to be part of an organization that looks out for one another, especially in difficult times such as this. We are resilient and will all get through this together!

Stay safe and be strong!

John Kirwan, PhD
Executive Director
George A. Bray, Jr. Endowed Super Chair in Nutrition

Post-Hurricane Checklist for Individuals and Businesses

August 2021

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, individuals and families in Louisiana and potentially other states in its path may be eligible for federal assistance if they live, own a business, or work in the disaster area. Insurance will also play a vital role in the recovery of real property, personal property and business interests. This checklist should act as a preliminary guide to help you organize during the initial phases of recovery.

A. FEMA

FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) can help safely house hurricane victims and cover necessary expenses and serious needs following a disaster. This can include temporary housing; repair of structural damage and home components and semi-permanent and permanent home construction; repair, replacement, and cleaning of personal property; and coverage for medical, dental, and funeral expenses.

FEMA Checklist

Register with FEMA online at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
Document all extraordinary expenses you would not have incurred but for the disaster. Keep all receipts associated with these expenses.
Follow FEMA instructions.

B. INSURANCE

Any homeowner, renter, or auto insurance you possess will be primary to recovery from FEMA or other federal assistance.

Insurance Checklist

Call your insurance agent immediately to start the claim process. Don’t wait to assess damage. If you have excess insurance, or umbrella coverage, then be sure to ask your agent to notify your excess carrier.
Separate the damaged and undamaged things in your home right away. If possible, do not destroy the damaged items until your claims adjuster has had an opportunity to inspect.
Take close-up photographs of damaged rooms, furnishings, personal property (including automobiles), etc., especially for those damaged items you cannot retain until your claims adjuster inspects.
Prepare an inventory of the damaged contents in your home.
Record serial and model numbers of appliances and household equipment.
If you have prior pictures of your home, gather those to document your losses. Remember, relatives and friends may have taken photos of holidays, birthdays, etc. in your home.
Save receipts for things like lodging that will document your living expenses while you were out of your home.
Save receipts from repair, replacement or clean-up costs. Also, include receipts for rented equipment and contract labor.

C. SBA LOAN PROGRAM

For uninsured, non-reimbursable losses, the Small Business Administration provides long-term, low-interest loans to individuals for personal property (up to $40,000) and real property (up to $200,000).

The types of loans available, as well as links to apply, can be found HERE. These loans include:

Home and Personal Property Loans.
Business Physical Disaster Loans.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans.
Military Reservist Economic Injury Loans.

If you have damage to your home, business, or personal property, do not wait to settle your insurance claims before you fill out the form. FEMA and other federal programs may use the information you provide when making decisions regarding aid. Also, the SBA may disperse funds more quickly than your insurance company.

Based on our experience handling these matters during catastrophic events, we anticipate that there will be additional programs to address the needs of the affected communities. Adams and Reese will provide updates as they become available.

Click here to download a printable version of the post-hurricane checklist.