This presentation will highlight the process of creating a pilot project in Louisiana aimed at navigating federal disaster aid following major disasters such as hurricanes and floods.

In 2024, floods caused more than $8.8 billion dollars worth of damage across the country, much of which was caused by tropical storms. Many coastal communities rely on federal aid to help with recovery efforts after these events. Louisiana Sea Grant developed an outreach project to inform residents about the ins and outs of federal disaster aid. At the beginning of the project, investigators hosted focus groups made of coastal community members, such as residents, local floodplain managers, parish emergency management, and extension agents. The focus group participants discussed federal aid challenges their communities face after major disasters. Their insight was crucial to developing ready-to-go resources for emergency events such as factsheets, videos and infographics. 

While resources have been developed with Louisiana in mind, the content focuses on federal policy issues and is transferrable to other states. To that end, these resources have been used throughout the Gulf and the Southeast during the 2024 hurricane season to respond to needs in other states.